


A.R.K.S.

by Mysterie



Category: Phantasy Star Online 2
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Character View, Crimson Fellwyrm, Dark Falz, Earth, F/M, Follows Game Story, Game Story Spoilers, Gen, Lillipan, Mothership - Freeform, Naverius, Omega (planet), Player Character is female, Profound Darkness, Time Travel, Timeline Shenanigans, Wopal, akashic records, divergence matrix
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 105
Words: 38,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27329932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysterie/pseuds/Mysterie
Summary: To be an ARKS operative demands a lot of dedication, time, training and above all knowing the code. This is the story of one operative's journey, one who was chosen ...
Relationships: Afin & Euclyta, Enga & Hitsugi, Harriette & Varuna, Kaori & Afin, Kaori & Flo, Kaori & Fluer, Kaori & Gettemhult, Kaori & Margareta, Kaori & Matoi, Kaori & Quna, Kaori & Seana, Kaori & Xion, Kaori & Zeno, Xiao & Sarah, Zeno/Echo
Kudos: 3





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING! There ARE Game spoilers in this story! If you haven't played the story and want to experience it for yourself then DO NOT READ! 
> 
> For those who don't care or who already have played through it - I hope that you enjoy this second perspective on the events that happen through the eyes of the operative. It will not have a lot of detail and side events may or may not be mentioned. Nothing but the main storyline will be mentioned in great detail as this is a second hand account rather than first occurrence account for the most part. Some story plot is likely to be missing and a lot of detail omitted. Story will be up to date to real time story release in the North American version.

Day 1 

Artificial

Relict to

Keep

Species

  
  


ARKS, a military force for the Oracle colony fleet. It’s one of the first things that anyone learns. Anyone who lives on any one of the many colony ships knows of them. There are six starter classes. Hunter, Ranger, Force, Braver, Bouncer and Summoner. Only by completing your first mission are you granted the option to also choose Fighter, Gunner or Techer. 

Those who want to be up front and in the face of the enemy are either a Hunter, Fighter or Bouncer. Each has its unique skills. Hunters are known for their balance with power and survivability, Fighters are all out offense while a Bouncer is a close quarters fighter with high mobility and aerial combos that can support any team. 

For those who don’t want to get that close to the enemy, but not be too far from the action, Rangers and Gunners were the choices. Rangers had easier to use weapons to deal damage from afar while those of a Gunner have a higher skill ceiling and higher power heavy weaponry, the higher hitting comes as an advantage for those with the skill.

Those who like spells though have the choice of a Force or Techer. Force is mostly just a basic spell casting class, Techer is a more advanced version of Force with healing spells along with the usual damage type spells.

The last, but not least of the classes to choose from, is Summoner. It is a class that allows one to utilize pets in battle rather than handling the fight directly. It is said to be a more difficult class to begin with than the other long range combat classes due to the complexity of raising the right pet for the right sort of battle.

Arks is made up of four different species, Humans, Newmans, Casts, and Deumans. Making life interesting. The colony’s goals is to find new planets, learn more about the galaxy and fend off the dangers posed to peaceful life.

With this in mind, you would think that day one would be easy... but, well, I’m not your average ARKS member. 

My name is Kaori, I am human, Summoner class.


	2. 1 - 1  Certification

My first assignment was with another rookie, a Newman named Afin. It was supposed to be an easy thing. First assignments always are. Naverius Forest is chosen for new recruits to stretch out their wings in their chosen work. It began as one would expect as usual, the operator, Hilda, giving out instructions to test our abilities and reflexes. All normal. Well, until after we finished the course. A Code F was issued. So much for a normal first day of training. Navarius wasn’t supposed to have falspawn on it, but a bunch just crawled out of the ground in front of me and Alfin. Before we could move to fight though another ARKS member showed up. Zeno, he was here to help us get to the collection point that we were supposed to have no trouble getting to.

Normally I might just be grateful, but he said something odd to me. I’d never met him before and he said I looked familiar, like he’d seen me somewhere before. What the heck could he mean by that? I hadn’t known him until just less than five minutes ago! Nevertheless, we needed to press on. Fighting the falspawn is what being an ARKS member meant... well, a big part of it anyway. We had to fight off a huge spider-like falspawn, Zeno’s photon blast took the thing out after we weakened it, but it was still impressive to see. Especially considering how tough falspawn can be. Our return to the gate was met by Echo, she was worried we were hurt, but between the three of us... well, Afin, Zeno and my pet, Wanda, no one was hurt really. Zeno seemed almost offended by Echo’s concern though, I wondered if it was because he thought himself a top member or if it was just with her. Who knows though? So yes, that is how my first mission went. Well, the certification mission anyway; we were just fresh out of training, they say nothing to make you best like starting out with having to be the best... or something like that. I might have things a little mixed up. 

I’m not sure what to think of Zeno and Echo yet, but I think that the two of them are likely friends the way they rib each other. It’s nice to see honestly. I’m hoping I can find such friends myself. I almost cannot wait for my next adventure! Sure being ARKS is work, but at the same time, there’s a certain bit of thrill that I felt from my first real battle with falspawn. I’m not sure why falspawn are our enemy, well, aside from them wanting to take over the whole universe and disrupt every day lives... beyond that... it’s a mystery.


	3. 1 - 2 Xion

I spent a lot of days on Naverius, fighting off various Sylvants or sometimes packs of Grulf. All native inhabitants to the grassy planet, they were good practice for me though and my pets. I also sometimes performed minor missions there when other ARKS would be there as well. Lending them my strength in battle against numerous opponents making myself and my pets stronger through the wilderness training. It was tough, but nothing I couldn’t handle and the air of the forest was great as well. The flora so fresh, it was a lot different from home aboard the ship. Battles were fierce, but each time I came out on top with my beloved pets. My Wanda and Trim. The first of what I knew would be several, for I did not doubt that I would find other kinds in my travels. I was eager to see what other pets I might discover, at the same time, I made sure my pets got the care and love they needed. Though I did not smoother them in love, I made sure they were happy. It was after a week that things got... interesting. Yes, I supposed you could call it that. 

I met a woman named Xion, she said she was waiting for me... or well, she backtracked and said she’d kept ME waiting? I’m not sure what to make of her honestly. She seemed... unusual, even for a doctor. Not that she claimed she was one, but she was dressed like one. She gave me a device... a Diversion Matrix, she called it. I’m not really sure what it is she wants me to do or do with it. She said it was some sort of guide but I really don’t know how it can be one or even how it operates. I only hope that I can figure it out, she did say something about going to Naverius, even if she did not say why. Something about my future... she doesn’t look like she’s crazy.

Still, for now, what can it hurt? It’s not like I will find anything there I haven’t found before. So of course I will set off at the end of this log.


	4. 1 - 3 Mysterious Girl and the Future

In setting out for Naverius, I found this girl. I’ve no idea what she was doing there, but she looked like she’d collapsed and was in serious need of help. I took her back to the ship with me. She didn’t look like any ARKS I’d ever seen, but the code of ARKS is helping someone in need. Therefore it never dawned on me, until now really to ever think twice of helping her. I want to reveal something, I’m not really going through these memories one by one... at least not as they happen. I’m sitting on the bridge, with a lot of time on my hands, and I’m going through records with a friend. I just wanted to record in my own words and thoughts what I was thinking during those times. I’m sure it’s not terribly accurate to a ‘t’ but as I recall each of the memories, it comes back almost as if it were yesterday. It’s odd, watching the past playout, but still. I know that it’s been a long journey and I’m not here for nothing.

According to my friend, the Divergence Matrix I was given displays possible divergences to events. That might explain a lot really... at least, a lot in some times we’re about to cover on events that took place on Naverius. That planet has been the site of some pretty important things to me.

There is at least one thing I can think of that Xion said that’s remained with me, even after all that’s happened: In all things, infinite choice is but an illusion.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say it surprises me that my friend says that I’m on a whole different level than her and her friends Reggie and Mary. It had never occurred to me that there was simply that much potential in me.


	5. 1 - 4  Xion's Tasks

It was only by the ability to absorb and purify the F-factor, which caused others to go crazy, that allowed me to help ARKS begin to forge an actual alliance between us and the Draconians. It was a hard fight against just one of their many leaders, but in the end I did triumph and in doing so helped purify him before he was completely lost. That wasn’t the only time I’d help in such matters, but it was the first. It really was hot in those volcanic caves! 

That was just the first of Xion’s tasks that she wished me to carry out. The next led me to Lillipa, home of the Lillipans, which were small rabbit-like creatures. Despite living on a planet that was all but a camping ground for falspawn and a giant dessert to boot, they still thrive.

According to my friend there was supposedly another civilization along with the Lillipans, but that it had been destroyed... I supposed that does explain a lot of the ruins there. Things that look similar to our level of technology and yet, much too large for the Lillipan though they do use the materials and the places for their own needs. They are survivors in that harsh environment. I managed to make friends with them as well, or - well - as much as one can be with a race that can’t really speak except through gestures. 

I admit that I did not understand much of what Xion told me, but now, I am beginning to understand that a lot of what she said wasn’t meant for the me then, but for who I am now and that the memories that have been made and stored here in the database remind me of many things. Including what things were like back then. I was so clueless to what was going on, but I followed her anyway because it was interesting. She seemed to know what she was doing and she had a purpose. In helping her, I often helped others in the process and that is what being an ARKS is all about. Helping those who need it, when they need it, as long as we are able.

Xion couldn’t explain everything to me. She asked for my faith in her and I had no reason to not give it. Things became odd when I found a strange weapon on Naverius. It didn’t look whole and I had to have Zig repair it. I had a feeling it might come in handy, I had no idea what it was I was asking him to fix... even as I gathered various pieces of it that had been scattered in some unusual places. I found a piece on Lillipan and even in the volcanic caves of Amduskia as well. With each piece the weapon was more and more complete. 

What was, perhaps, the most puzzling at the time, was the Masked Person. They didn’t give a name, but the voice was familiar somehow and yet I couldn’t place how. They seemed determined to get the pieces of the weapon and we clashed at least twice over the pieces, but they were no match for me. I drove them away each time.

Fourie, one of the other ARKS members I met, became a mediator for us and the Lillipans. She helped me find a fragment of the weapon, but that would be the last time she’d be of help. Speaking of ARKS members... there is a couple that seem to always pop up constantly with new information... I’m talking about the informants, Tia and Pati. I remember bumping into them nearly everywhere I went, they were always babbling about some new information about where ever we happened to be. Usually nothing particularly useful or that I didn’t already know, but seeing other ARKS around is always a welcome sight. Though I think that Tia really has her hands full with that hyperactive sister of hers.

Some things never change. 


	6. 1 - 5  Matoi

Xion would always meet me in the shopping plaza. Not sure why. Every time we did she would tell me that a new Divergence Matrix was born. Apparently it meant that what I had done was the right thing. It seemed confusing back then as to what she meant, but now, it makes sense. How everything I did helped change the course and forge a new path.

Amduskia’s altar area had the final piece for the weapon, but I was only able to claim it after a fierce battle with a quartz dragon, Azula. Even after the battle had ended, the dragon seemed quite happy with the results and the elder, who never showed herself, seemed satisfied as well. Apparently Draconian Elders don’t show themselves to anyone, not even other draconians; which is to say, something I find unusual. 

The girl I rescued from Naverius introduced herself to me as Matoi. I often spent time talking to her, answering questions about what I was up to or other small things. She always seemed to be apologizing too... she was very... proper. I was a little unnerved, at first, at this but I got used to it. The more I learned from her, about how she was and what she was doing, the more I sort of grew attached to her. 

The weapon that I had been trying to have repaired was none other than Clarrisa the White. Unfortunately it was stolen, right out from under our noses. Zig was so disappointed and before I could really say or do much to reassure him the alarm went off. falspawn had begun invading the city colony! So of course I rushed out to help. 

Afin was crushed that day, Ulku was caught in a crash during the incident. I didn’t really know either of them well... I’d no idea how to comfort him.


	7. 2   Dark Falz

As I continued to follow Xion’s tasks, I found that on Naverius things came to a head. There were unusually high concentrations of F-Factor around the Naverius Ruins and ARKS operatives had been sent to investigate. I ran into Regius there. One of the Council of Six. Zeno was with me as was Echo and Casra, Casra was another of the Council of Six. It was there, after defeating numerous falspawn that we came to what looked like a monument. It was also there that we found the thief of the weapon. It was another ARKS member, his name was Gettemhult and he had a partner, sort of. She acted more like a servant. Her name was Seana. Apparently Gettemhult had learned that prior to that day, 40 years ago, the Council of Six had sealed away Dark Falz Elder on that planet. For some unknown reason, he wanted that power. I had encountered him before this day, he had always seemed so sure of himself and never had a kind word to say to anyone. 

Lest of all me. Mocking me often, calling me weak and other such things. I do not understand the man’s thinking, not then and not now. With the stolen weapon, he unlocked the seal; however, he could not control the power and was overtaken by Dark Falz Elder. It was a tough battle then, between the ARKS and the newly risen Elder. Even so, we still managed to beat him back, but unfortunately he disappeared with his stolen body. As far as we know, it is not possible to come back from being Dark Falz. Once one is taken over, that is all there is. The person who was before is destroyed utterly and without remorse. The Dark Falz do not know mercy and they are more powerful than any falspawn.

The three Council of Six who had sealed him there had thought it was in ARKS best interest to lie about sealing him, proclaiming instead to having defeated him instead of sealing him on the planet. Those responsible had used Clarrisa the White to be the key to the seal. Upon first learning this I wondered why they had kept that much so secret for so long. It would have been better if the truth had been known, then perhaps Elder would not have been freed. Still, things are as they are. Xion calculated events to happen as they did for a reason. There was something she was trying to prevent. The question remained though, what was she trying to prevent and why was I the key?


	8. 2-1 Into the Lion's Den

Dark Falz Elder continued to make trouble, Seana, who had recovered from what had happened on Naverius, insisted that she accompany me as I dealt with Elder. Insisting that it was her responsibility. Who was I to say no? She was part of the reason that Elder had been revived and released. She had helped Gettemhult, done nothing to stop him, had helped him release the seal... in a way, she wasn’t wrong and I understood that she wanted to make things right. She wasn’t really a powerful fighter, but to say she was useless wasn’t right either. She could hold her own, when she had to and she was a good healer. Leaving most of the fighting to me, which was fine. We ended up in a place that I can’t really begin to describe. It was full of strange liquid and broken walkways. falspawn would appear everywhere and with little to no warning. We had to fight our way through the entire place to reach Elder. We did and it was, of course, one more confrontation. Elder seemed to crave battle, but not just any battle, only with those who were strong enough to even begin to match him. Perhaps what was so unsettling about that place was the fact that there were duplicates of ARKS operatives who’d been kidnapped. That was the reason we had been chasing Elder in the first place to this odd... area. For lack of a better name. We needed to rescue our fellow members. 

Even after Elder was dealt with, things didn’t settled down. On Lillipa I ran into Afin who has been searching for his sister, Euclyta, for a very long time. It was his reason for joining ARKS. It was there that we ran into Dark Falz Apprentice. After several run-ins, Afin seems to be certain that the Dark Falz is his missing sister. There has never been a case of anyone returning from being Dark Falz on record, ever. Learning that Dark Falz Apprentice was his sister was dire news indeed... but not for him. He seemed hopeful, that somehow he could bring his lost sister back to him. 

It was not long after that incident that things became much, much more complicated with Xion. I had gone to speak with her in the area as usual, but then someone else showed up... that someone happened to be our ship’s overseer, as it were... Luther. He walked right past Xion, couldn’t see her, it seemed; yet, he spoke as if he knew she were there even though I was the only one in the area who could see her. Well, more accurately he was the director of the laboratory.

I wasn’t sure what I found more odd, that the newman had such interest in Xion; wanting to know her and understand her yet not being able to see or hear her, but somehow know she was there ... or the way his eyes seemed to be curious and yet cold. Xion, however, revealed that it was because of him that she had asked me to do the things she had. She wanted to sever all her ties with him, though I can’t imagine what ties one has to a being they can neither see nor hear.

It would only be later that I would learn that Luther was the leader of the Photoners. Well, those we knew were granted to be called such.

Another odd thing was the ARKS member I kept bumping into here and there, Quna. She seemed keen to not run into me and always asked me if I had seen a particular draconian, named Haddred. I was not sure why for a long while as she was not one for explanations. Only saying that he had betrayed his kind and she was going to kill him.


	9. 2 - 2  Sometimes When It Rains

The next surprise I had was when Matoi came to talk to me and Xion, revealing that she could hear and see Xion as well. No one else had been able to see Xion that I had known of, it was certainly a surprise, but it would make sense later. Xion said that they had a connection, though I wouldn’t learn of that connection for a while. Xion said in that meeting that the only reason that we were alive now was because I had saved Matoi... but then... what had happened then? Was Matoi’s fate in that original timestream that grim? If so, what then was Matoi to everyone else that would have caused such a disaster with her no longer being?

That was one of the mysteries that I wouldn’t find an answer to any time soon. Not long after that a new planet was discovered. Wopal, it had a lot of water on it, but if it was a new planet, then why the ruins? They seemed to be all over the planet, as if some civilization had been there before. Even more startling was that everything about it seemed... artificial. Rather, that someone had made the natives and even the natural enemies to be so, but at the same time, it didn’t make much sense. I was surprised that the natives could talk to us without needing translation of some sort. Far too coincidental to be anything but suspicious. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but at the same time, I had a feeling that this ‘new planet’ might just be another one of the lies that ARKS had been told by its leaders.

Even more worrisome was Theodor. He agreed to go with Luther to gain more power... I couldn’t stop him, nothing I said got through to him and in the end... it was his choice to make. He wanted to avenge Ulku... who was the reason he’d joined in the first place. While I felt bad for his loss, I couldn’t fully understand it and I think that was part of what made the difference. Of why he chose to go anyway. Theodor was another ARKS member who had completed his certification with Afin and myself. When I’d found out his reason why for becoming an ARKS member I found myself conflicted. It seemed sentimental but at the same time also not the best of reasons to join.


	10. 2 - 3  Xiao

Things didn’t get much better after that. Luther continued to try and talk to Xion, even though he could neither see nor hear her. He was so convinced of his victory, that everything was going to his own plans. I was set, however, to stand in his way. Regardless of what that meant. He could not be allowed to succeed. With all the things that had been happening, I was rather exasperated by the time I ran into him again. Claiming he’d live forever, as if he were some god or something. I really was tired of his bravado. It didn’t help that Xion seemed to confirm his claim of immortality, which worried me. How did one deal with an immortal?

I believed there was something to this, to Xion, that I hadn’t been told. After all, the last few days I’d been jumping through time itself, on top of dueling often with the Persona the Masked. If that weren’t enough, there was also Quna. I am still not sure, at this point, what her story was exactly or why she was so set on destroying Haddred. I had a run in with Haddred twice, at the very least now but never has the draconian turned his power on me. Instead, he eats falspawn only to flee. I have no idea how it is capable of doing so without being overrun like other draconian. I fear the answer.

While I was exploring the draconian ruins with Sarah, a figure that looked similar to Xion appeared. Xiao is his name. He apparently is like Xion, in a lot of ways. Not just in the hair or how his jacket is a lot like Xion’s hands. Personality too, a bit anyway, but how much he is like her is still to be seen. There seems to be some sort of link between Xiao and Sarah, though what exactly I am not entirely sure. Sarah seems to deny it but the dynamics between the two make it pretty clear there’s something there, whether she wants to admit it or not. She’s pretty stubborn about it too.

All that I really understood from this first encounter with Xiao was that I would need some part of his power in order to deal with Luther, to stop him once and for all. I was for that.


	11. 2 - 4  All Part of the Plan

Xiao sent me back to the past, yet again, this time to the battle with Elder. I met up with Maria along the way as I rushed to make sure that Zeno and Casra were fine, as it turned out, Casra fled, leaving Zeno by himself... well, that was all we originally knew anyway. Poor Echo had been so worried since the incident with Elder. With Sarah also accompanying me, the three of us found Zeno barely holding on against Elder and it was together that we beat Elder back and forced a retreat. The Dark Falz left us and we rescued Zeno, but he made me promise I wouldn’t tell Echo. I don’t know why, but I figure keeping that secret was just another part of the whole mission secrecy anyway. I couldn’t very well let on to anyone else, after all, that I had been traveling through time. 

Before the plan could be carried out, I had a talk with Xion. She revealed to me how she had met Luther and that she - unable to understand the heart - had foolishly given him all he asked for because he intrigued her. This was her story, the story of how things came to be as they were. At least, I thought that was who she meant. She never out right said... so, I can only speculate.

While completing missions assigned, I caught up with Theodor and Luther on Wopal. Turns out that the original oddness wasn’t just my imagination. Luther had arrived on the planet and used it like his own personal lab rat. Creating the life forms, the enemies... leaving behind the ruins... Part of the reason I went there was to collect what data I could from the ruins before it could be destroyed... and I was none too soon about it. After I’d collected data from one set of ruins the two had shown up and Luther had destroyed the data orb. Just as well though, perhaps this information is best not left lying around like that. I’m just glad that I got to it first.


	12. 2 - 5  From Bad to Worse

I was able to get Theodor to finally see reason, thanks to having gone back in time to rescue Ulku before the vehicle had blown. She’d been in hiding ever since, with Sarah and Xiao’s help of course. Just one more thing to change the odds in our favor against Luther, not that I believed he’d go quietly. Just as it seemed like things were okay... well, it just seemed to go down hill. First I ended up helping Quna finally finish off Haddred, but the thing is, she didn’t do it because she wanted to. She was being forced to... the two were really friends and were both experiments of Luther. I don’t blame her for hating him and she only really was doing what she had to. I felt bad for her, Haddred’s last words to her... he asked her to sing him a song. Her alternate persona on the ship, after all, was singing to boost morale on the ships, but which ship she was on was a guarded secret. She was really popular after all. 

After that, she told me she’d stay a singer, lay down her weapon and simply do her part to boost morale, that her friend would be her inspiration. I have to admire her strength. Her ability to turn what was a tragedy into something beautiful. I had hoped to get some rest, but things didn’t end there, Luther decided I was too much of a threat to keep around. He initiated some sort of command I’d never heard of before - (command here). I was forced to fight against those who had once been friends, comrades, who had fought with me against falspawn. Matoi didn’t seem affected by this though and had stayed by my side... but she wasn’t the only one. I managed to gather some of my friends after bringing them to their senses. Following me to the battle against Luther was Zeno, Echo and Sarah.... 

The fight was tough but we won that fight, Luther, in his madness... after merging with Xion and stealing her from us... became a Dark Falz. As an ARKS, it was our duty to stop him. To bring him down. Our victory, however, was bitter-sweet, with the loss of Xion. 


	13. 3  Taking Responsibility

I have to admit, the first time I saw Xiao on the ship instead of Xion was a bit of a surprise... it happened after the battle with Luther. Luther was so consumed with his own goals, his own desires... that he took Xion down with him. He became a Dark Falz in the process. The F-factor in his blood had taken over and had driven him mad... he became Luther the Fallen. It was not an easy fight by any means... even with other ARKS members at my side, it was a struggle, but in the end, we managed to over power him.

Despite being a copy of Xion, Xiao isn’t exactly Xion. He’s a lot more up front, for one thing, but maybe that’s because he feels Xion did enough “being mysterious” for the both of them... at least according to him anyway. He had some interesting news when we spoke, apparently there was no information on Matoi, not even in his memories. Someone like her though should have stuck out like a sore thumb - just as he said - and so shouldn’t everyone know about her? Why is she such a big mystery? It’s like she doesn’t even exist at all and yet... I know that’s not true. I talk to her, I’ve seen her, she’s held my hand and I know she’s a real, live breathing human. Even if her past is... a little muddled. Xiao thinks it’s Xion’s doing, but I’ve no idea why. With Xion erasing the past 10 years from databases and people’s minds, the only thing we can do is travel back in time to that point to find out what did happen... what it was we were missing.

Maybe then we could finally understand Xion and why Matoi didn’t seem to be remembered by anyone. With both Xion and Luther gone, Xiao had his work cut out for him. I didn’t really envy him, I’m more of a field person.


	14. 3 - 1  The Shocking Truth

So Xiao was going to send me ten years back in the past to try and figure out what had happened, why Xion erased the Oracle and memory of Matoi and whatever happened... or at least that was the idea. It seems Xion was ahead of us and blocked anyone from intervening in the timeframe after Matoi disappeared... she was revealed, by the way, to be the second Klariskrays. I wasn’t expecting that. So instead of going back in time... I get to talk to others who supposedly remember. After talking to a few different others Xiao figured a way to get me back in time, around Xion’s interference. Going back shouldn’t have been any big thing... but boy I wasn’t prepared for what I learned.

Now I understood why Zeno thought I looked familiar, we’d run into each other in the past and he thought I was his mentor. Well, I did help him a little at the time but saying I was his mentor might be an exaggeration. Most especially when all we did most of the time was run into one another in the field while I was about the task Xiao had asked me to do, which was pretty much watching everyone and trying to figure out what had happened.

On top of that, the reason Matoi’s presence had been so well hidden was because she would become the host to the Profound Darkness. An entity far beyond the power of even the Dark Falz that I’ve faced off with. Even with the presence of Persona the Masked, however, I managed to keep that from happening. She was wounded, but even so, I fought to protect her because that’s what friends do. It’s what ARKS does best. Though I don’t wonder if perhaps Xion mostly hid it so well was because of shame rather than anything else. After all, if this had been known, it would have been something I’d know to stop before I had to stop it, right?

What was more shocking though was to learn that Photoners, our ancestors, were the reason that the Profound Darkness even existed in the first place! The reason for the falspawn, the Dark Falz, everything... all because they fiddled with life itself. Tried to play god. I believe it is certain that the knowledge the Photoners gained from Xion was not for the best after all. 

My companion believes that Xion’s guilt was over Matoi... and I am inclined to agree.

One final thing I learned during this was the identity of Persona the Masked. I learned it first hand. The identity of this individual, who has been getting in the way so often and with remarkable strength... is none other than myself. I had no other choice... at first... this was the only outcome. To be forced to destroy Matoi... my closest companion and friend. The sheer feeling of despair... I felt the change and finally I understood. Far too well. I became Persona. I wondered what I could do to change this... to save her... just as the Persona before me had and then... then I knew. I could have skipped out into other timelines just as they had but no. I was determined to save this one... so I turned back the clock instead, on this very day by mere hours. There had to be some other way. I couldn’t just give up! 

This was how I changed history... I saved Matoi. Even if she thought her death was the only choice, I showed her that there was always another way. It was only with the help of Xion and Persona that this was possible...


	15. 3 - 2   A New Chapter

I’ve kept busy with missions, seems Matoi has been busy herself. She got Xiao to let her be an ARKS operative herself, meaning she’ll likely be joining me in the field. I have seen her fight, I’m happy for her. Xiao also talked to us both about ARKS, as a whole, the organization not just the militant group either. It’s been half a year, roughly, since Luther’s downfall. Time sure has flown.

Everyone’s finally accepted Xiao as the new overseer too. Not everything is good though. Our enemies now are able to consume planets and copy them, playing around with them as if they are just toys for their amusement. This doesn’t bode well for us. That kind of fire power is certainly above the Dark Falz I’ve had to face before. It goes by the name Gemini the Duplicate, and it destroys things for the sheer thrill of it. I can only imagine the chaos it’s causing.

It seems that its next target is a planet known as Harukotan. With this information, Matoi and I don’t waste time heading there to head off the new Dark Falz. Xiao asked that I keep an eye on Matoi and stay close as often as possible. He’s worried that Persona the Masked might strike again and I don’t blame him. He’s also worried about her possibly becoming the Profound Darkness again. So he basically wants me to babysit her as much as I can without look like that’s what I’m doing. Seeing as I’m the only one who knows the truth and am a powerful Summoner in my own right, it’s something I’m taking very seriously.


	16. 3 - 3   Gemini

After an encounter on Harukotan, it was verified that anyone they devour they can copy the abilities of and make straight copies of as well. From what I understand, Gemini devoured the previous Dark Falz... Apprentice and Luther, and while not confirmed, it’s likely they did the same with Elder.

I also learned about the history of the planet, how an endless conflict between the Daybreakers and the Nightfallers gave rise to both Ashmaiden Sukunahime and the demon Magatsu. The demon was sealed on their planet until Gemini broke the seal, releasing it from its prison. The Ashmaiden herself acts much like a deity of sorts, but I’m not particularly sure she is one but I’m not about to tell her that. She does have a bit of a temper.

My friend was concerned for the past me, that both Matoi and I had been at our limits, at least, what others considered our limits to be. I’m not sure I fully agree, but I can’t dissuade her of her concern so easily either.


	17. 3 - 4  Profound Darkness

I wasn’t prepared for my next mission from Xiao. Matoi had gone missing. I knew what this meant and I had suspected what had happened. I was one of the last to see her. This didn’t bode well. I had a feeling that Xiao knew what had happened... that Matoi had become the Profound Darkness of her own choice... of her own free will, that she was trying to fight it but had lost that fight. I had learned that the Nightfallers had lost everything to Gemini, Luther was somehow still alive in that thing and had actually helped fight against Gemini. I can only wonder why a Dark Falz would help... and yet, if he was still alive, then surely so were the others. 

I cannot explain what it was like... to be devoured alive like that, to be thought to be added to that Dark Falz’s power... but in the end, Matoi and I were able to escape that prison only for her to fall prey to the F-factor inside herself. I can’t help but wonder, is this the fate for all those who fight the falspawn? Doomed to eventually become one of the enemy? Is it just the organics that are susceptible? I can only wonder. There are no clear or easy answers but that is the least of my worries. I must save Matoi. I will not let the Profound Darkness have its way. I am determined to rescue her once more and return the friend and ARKS comrade I have come to know.

It wasn’t an easy battle, or a decision, the first time... there was no other choice but to destroy my friend. It was something that tore at me and because of it, knowing what I did... I felt the darkness creep up and before I knew it... I had become Persona the Masked. I knew what I had to do... but some part of me rebelled and thus accessed the ability to travel back in time... to do it all over again... and this time, when Persona appeared I convinced them to work with me... to help me save Matoi. It was after that, separating her from the Profound Darkness, that things became worse.

The Profound Darkness appeared over Naverius and ARKS members scrambled to do what needed to be done... rallying together, we took a lift and had to face off with a replica of Gemini that were making a barrier between our fleet and the gateway to where the Profound Darkness awaited. After a fierce battle and many close calls, we were victorious and the planet was saved. We were left on Naverius to await a transporter to be sent to us so we could go back. Matoi wondered if the Profound Darkness was truly gone... as did I, however, she didn’t sense it anymore and yet, I did not think this was the last we would see of it. In the end, however, it meant the sacrifice of Persona who had been helping me fight along side my fellow ARKS... they- no, she sacrificed herself w hen the Profound Darkness was at its weakest and used the time magic to keep the Profound Darkness from being revived, creating a time loop in which she was trapped forever with the darkness. 

To be eternally trapped, going through the same time over and over again to keep it from being reborn... to keep it from manifesting... I understood that choice. After all, Persona was me ... and there would be no way I’d allow it to taint me and destroy anything that I cherished. Naverius, as I said before... was a place where a lot of things happened for me. It was where I was certified, where I met Zeno and Echo... where I trained with Zeno in the past... where I met Matoi... and the place where I fought - and killed - and saved her from the Profound Darkness.... Where I saw a version of me, who might have been from the original time, make the ultimate sacrifice to house the Profound Darkness in themselves to try and contain it... to fail to... and then, in a moment of opportunity, trap it in time itself.

Even so, I had my doubts that it would hold all eternity. The cycle could be broken, thus it was likely to be... the question was, could we save the other me? Should there be a way to, I think that I will find it and I will free them. 


	18. 3 - 5  Predictable

Even without seeing it, my friend predicted I would find a way to save Persona. Am I really so predictable? Perhaps, but in this case I suppose that isn’t a bad thing. I would find a way, no matter how long it took. After all, they deserved a chance, did they not? 

Things were back to normal... for a while, but they didn’t stay that way. It should be predictable by now that trouble just seems to show up around me... or perhaps I just find trouble? 


	19. 4  Xiera

This is the point where the recordings of events end and my own memories of the most recent events come forward.

I woke up to a familiar voice, I remembered going to sleep for a bit, but how long had I slept? I didn’t remember that or why, but I did remember who I was as I emerged from one of dozens of pods only to be greeted by a cheerful voice I didn’t know. She introduced herself as Xiera, my operator. After talking with her I realized why I went to sleep, to be fully purified of the F-factor in me from all the falspawn, Dark Falz and not to mention the Profound Darkness itself. Xiera was kind enough to give me a rundown on everything that had happened. For some reason she thought to tell me about myself at first, but I hadn’t forgotten though I still wasn’t sure what was going on. She said she was wowed by being in the presence of greatness, I’m not sure I agreed with that assessment. 

I was both shocked and worried to hear that I had been asleep for about two years. That was a lot to take in honestly. To think that I needed to be in cryo sleep for that long and so much seemed to have changed while I was gone. I wondered just what all had changed... so on her bidding - even after mentioning a request - I went exploring, to see if anything really had changed. It really hadn’t, though I did see plenty of familiar faces who were happy to see me. After a bit of a reunion I went back to hear the request, turns out that Ulku was made an admiral in the two years I was asleep. I wondered a bit about Xiera though, her eyes were luminescent... that wasn’t normal. I wondered what it could mean, but listened to the admiral tell me about her request.

I was also informed that both Matoi and I had been granted a new title due to our contribution in stopping the Profound Darkness. We have been granted the exclusive title of Guardian; the Council of Six preferred to keep us on the field. I can understand their decision and I wholly agree. I would rather be on the field than filing paperwork and ordering others about.


	20. 4 - 1  Strangeness

Apparently there were some ARKS operatives that seemed unusual were popping up and I was sent out to try and find out some information for them. I wondered what it was that made them unusual or seem to be acting that way. It wouldn’t be long before I found out. I ran into a young recruit on Naverius who introduced himself as Hitsugi. It was interesting seeing their reaction when I showed up. There seemed to be some doubt from him, he definitely seemed a little odd as we started what should have been a normal mission. Xiera suspected him, saying he seemed male but didn’t act it... and I was a bit inclined to agree that something seemed... off. I wasn’t sure what it was , but I set off with the recruit on the mission nonetheless. They seemed capable, at the very least, in terms of combat and dealing with the falspawn wasn’t anything new for me and was more like a warm up than an actual fight.

He sure liked to look up information a lot.... He seemed to like to mutter to himself too, but it was then that something odd happened. A strange dark figure appeared with red eyes; I’d never seen anything like it. Xiera wasn’t sure what it was either. It struck Hitsugi, but apparently it was targeting me, still, I fended it off even though I wasn’t sure what I was facing. It wasn’t like normal falspawn... Hitsugi ran at it and seemed to finish it off only to be engulfed by the strange thing. Using the power I’d used to save Matoi, I rescued Hitsugi from the odd falspawn, but then... he said something about logging out? What was that supposed to mean? I’d never heard another operative say anything like that before. 

It seemed that we weren’t going to be getting any answers any time soon. I went back to the ship and reported what I thought. Hitsugi had been acting odd and there was really nothing else I could deduce from what had happened. Xiera wasn’t sure what it was we’d faced, the readings were like falspawn, but not. It was too strange, and as I was pondering what it could be I heard something... a voice... a voice that was crying out for help. As any ARKS operative would do, I stepped forward and a strange light engulfed me... 


	21. 4 - 2  A New World

I was just in the nick of time, I wasn’t sure what it was that was in front of me, but I heard a voice behind me. I would protect them, I simply nodded to reassure them before turning to the thing in front of me and doing what I always do. Once all of those things were gone that I could see, I went back to the girl. She was relieved, but seemed a tad concerned before passing out. Xiera was more concerned about the new creatures than the two before me, but they were fine. I was called back to the ship to talk to Xiera over what had just happened. We had to figure this out. Apparently I had just been to a different dimension that existed beyond subspace, a possible parallel universe... and yet I’d traveled so easily. This planet was called Earth. 

Apparently the Intelligence Bureau already knew about this planet. I could only wonder how, but it didn’t really matter much. We had a connection now, even if the how is up in the air though Xiera thinks it has something to do with my photons reacting to a call for help from Hitsugi and thus cementing a connection between me and that planet. It went without saying, however, that this was a covert operation. Still, there was the concern about how this came from the Intelligence Bureau, it just seemed fishy. 

On the bright side, there didn’t seem to be any evidence of the Profound Darkness.

Xiera thinks that I have a direct connection to Hitsugi that has to do with what happened on Naverius. We then settled to watching clips from Hitsugi’s daily life in order to study how this world really worked. It seemed wrong though, and I pointed this out, but since it was just the two of us... and for professional reasons only, there was no harm in it. It wasn’t like we were creeping in on her life for just no reason. Of course I was also asked to return to Earth due to my battle with the new enemy, called Phantasms. They’re not particularly strong from what I saw and seem like falspawn but were different some how and no one seemed to know much about them aside from that they weren’t native to Earth and that they were gathering in clusters. Just like falspawn.

Thanks to new tech I’d be able to fight as I needed, no holding back. That was fine with me.


	22. 4 - 3  Life On Earth

We learned that Hitsugi didn’t know who the boy was and he know who he was, they settled on the name Alister. Al for short. The girl, Hitsugi was friends with another named Khori; they seemed to be part of a club, student council. I remembered something similar from my young days in school. What I didn’t know was about this group they called Mother Corps, Hitsugi’s actions weren’t that far from an ARKS and what exactly was PSO2? It couldn’t simply be a game... and what was this ether? Clearly ESCA was some sort of a computer thing. The fact that these high schoolers were doing such work made me suspicious. Did they think our world was just a game and nothing more? They were capable of interdimensional power and they didn’t understand that? What did they teach their children? Or was it perhaps a new technology and these two were merely pawns? That didn’t sit well with me either... in fact, that was more worrisome. 

The more that I heard the more that I had questions about everything. It was odd, the communication technology was like ours and yet nothing else seemed to be up to par with it. It stuck out like a sore thumb. Xiera seemed to agree. This odd application seemed to be in almost every aspect of life though from what we heard and that seemed a little... odd. Almost a little excessive. After all, we didn’t quite have such intrusive applications, yes we had a similar application to the shop... but it was on a shop menu. Not a personal handheld device and thus it didn’t really track the shopper and while we could order cafe items, again, it was on a separate menu device. Not a handheld. This technology seemed like less convenience and more tracking and invasive tactics that seemed unnecessary to my thinking. 

Of course Xiera wanted to know what I was passionate about. Her obsession was her job, as for me... I’m more of a nature person. Now that I think about it. I love traveling and seeing new places and enjoying the fresh air. All in all... I’m not sure what is stranger, this planet’s technology or Al. 


	23. 4 - 4  A Deeper Look

The more that I learned, the more I agreed with Xiera that something was off with the technology; how could it be advanced in one way, but not on every other level such as hardware and such? This ether, whatever it was, I had a feeling that it was used for more than just communications, games and shopping. Xiera seemed to agree with me on this without me even saying anything. Xiera wondered who this Mother person was and I was beginning to wonder myself. Who could they be to inspire such blind loyalty? Did they have anything to do with the power called ether? The advancement in technology? What about this game? This Phantasy Star Online 2. Did it have some connection to all of this or was it just some popular brand?

It seemed that, even before we had met, Hitsugi’s life had been anything but boring. It was hard, wrought with struggles and strife. She really seemed very young at times, mature at others. I was a little surprised that Hitsugi brought Al to us. I wondered if she was ready to face the things that were before her. While I believe she trusts me to help her she is still very young. 

Still more odd, when Xiera did her scan, Al and Hitsugi both suddenly vanished. I have a bad feeling about all of this and the cause for why they would just up and disappear.


	24. 4 - 5  To Hold a World

I had to get to Hitsugi. I was worried that this meant something bad, like the phantasms I’d run into the first time I’d met Hitsugi. Xiera tracked the location and I left the ship and to the gateway to make sure that Hitsugi and Al were alright. What I found was a battle and Hitsugi with a weapon in her hands. The enemies were hardly any different than before, just more phantasms and it was easy to take out the entire group of phantasms in a single fell swoop. They were nothing in comparison to Dark Falz. Unfortunately the threat that was summoning them got away from us. He complained a lot really about the things and jabbered on needlessly, it reminded me of some cartoon villain. That he knew that I was from ARKS was a little concerning.

This Khori... she gave off some odd vibes. She talked like someone who seemed both desperate and someone who didn’t think much for herself. Blindly following this Mother person. Xiera took us back, leaving the other there and I could only wonder how things would turn out between the two girls who now seemed to be at odds rather than close friends. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it, however, Hitsugi and Al were a priority. When the two joined us, Casra, the head of the Intelligence Bureau and his Lt. Aika, had joined us. Though I can only imagine Hitsugi had a wild imagination to think that we’d make a prison out of her. She looked like she was trying not to freak out. According to the Intelligence Bureau, they’d been on Earth for a while even though we’d heard nothing about them.

They had been dealing with the phantasms and had help from a group called Earth Guard who was against Mother Corps... and apparently Casra was wary of earning my ire. 


	25. 5 - Invaders In Disguise

I met Hitsugi and Al in the shopping district. I had gone to meet them there for a bit of a friendly chat when Hitsugi freaked out and ducked behind a plant holder. She seemed to be hiding from someone and when I looked to where she indicated, all I saw was a group of four ARKS operatives. Why was she freaked out? Then I remembered what I had learned about her thinking this entire thing was just a game early on in our meeting. Were those... friends of hers? She said that they weren’t exactly friends but confirmed that they were members of the student council and thus, members of Mother Corps. They were spies, in a word. Seems she was worried about them jumping her.

Apparently they considered her a traitor. Tough break to have those who were once your friends turn on you... then again... I knew all about that. Thanks to Luther I’d had almost the whole ship against me... that was a rather tough fight. It didn’t pay to be an enemy of ARKS... even if I was one of the top fighters. With things being quiet, we’ve been walking the ship and seeing plenty of my comrades. It was interesting when we ran into Klariskrays, the third and she admitted straight up that she was a clone. That was something I’d learned during my battle against the ship, that she had been a clone made by Luther. She was pretty accepting of it and she’s toughened up some since the last I saw of her... though she didn’t seem to appreciate I’d brought that up, heh. 

After that we saw more of my comrades who I’ve met at some point or another, whether it was on the battlefield or just working with them on the ship. I had never really noticed how many knew who I was until Hitsugi pointed it out. She apparently thinks that all I’ve done is amazing, I can’t say I understand. I’ve only been doing what other ARKS operatives would do. I’m nothing really special, just someone doing their job. I began to understand though, as she explained how she was liked by teachers, but not by peers, that she was just envious that I had good relationships with a lot of my fellow ARKS who worked just as hard as I did in their respective fields. I was glad that Al was there to remind her that she’s done some things that were just as good as any ARKS operative.


	26. 5 - 1  Earth and ARKS

Xiera called us to tell us about the intel she’d finally gotten finished sorting through from the Intelligence Bureau. Apparently the first Earth and Arks contact was 12 years ago. I was still just a tyke running around the colony when this occurred! Two years ago, while I was likely sleeping to be purified of the F-Factor I’d gained, the contact had turned into an investigation as those like Hitsugi had been sent to our world. According to Hitsugi, the year for them had been 2016 and ESCA had made its global debut, that was when ether had become a big thing for them. I was beginning to see how this could be a long standing issue that had cropped up without anyone really noticing, though she didn’t know of any major event that had happened just two years ago.

According to Xiera, there was a common factor between our worlds and that common factor held true for both words. That factor was the Profound Darkness. While it’s not clear how, it is the thing that seems to link our two worlds together... that what happens to ours is also happening to Earth. An interlinking bond with - for the moment - no real explanation. This link explains why the phantasms are so much like falspawn. They’re pretty much one and the same, even if they have different properties. So it seems that they can monitor us the way we monitor them; that isn’t good news. 

On a related note, we have next to no information on Mother Corps. The whole news about disciples is about as new to Hitsugi as it is to us. Currently, she’s our only source of information and, sadly, she doesn’t know anymore than we do. She didn’t take that news well and Al took it even harder, but Xiera and I understood. It’s not that bad, not knowing everything. Xiera also then explained the reason she moved the ship to Earth, which was to be closer to Hitsugi for investigation and during the Error Olympia that Hitsugi experienced, a force on Earth tried to not only keep Xiera from getting back to Hitsugi and Al, but also erase any existing data we had on them. A clear act of aggression against our entire fleet, Oracle. Xiera wanted to make sure this hostile force couldn’t lock us out again and thus moved the whole fleet to Earth. With our flawless invisible fleet, it should be impossible for them to locate us so the investigations can continue.

Xiera also explained that Hitsugi’s ability to summon weapons was like the ability of a Summoner class. That she was controlling the photons in the air around her to summon a weapon that they imagine and that while it is highly powerful it is also highly rare and not good for normal utility, like the physical weapons of the Gunner class, for example. Apparently Hitsugi’s weapon is based on Earth mythology, which was interesting in and of itself. It’s unique and rather fascinating the way humans can utilize ether in this manner. 

The phantasms, while similar to falspawn, seem to be different in that they take form from the ether in the atmosphere and take the form of things that humans subconsciously fear or have a strong dislike. That explains the unusual forms that I saw when battling them. What makes them so unique, however, is that they can’t be seen, heard nor affect anyone who doesn’t have the aptitude to handle ether. Making them invisible threats to innocents... which is, in a way, actually a good thing, but also a bad thing. As it means that those who don’t know they can handle ether and haven’t trained in it are most certainly in danger. Not to mention that due to the purity of ether in the atmosphere, Xiera said they’d reach a point where they could affect reality and that includes those who don’t have the ability to fight back. Not good news, though apparently those who have been were dubbed as angels and demons since ancient times on Earth. That seemed to get Hitsugi’s attention. The good thing though is the barriers that appear when phantasms do, keeping civilians locked out of the area, allowing for free range fighting. So at least there is that.

Even though we’ve gotten through all the data, the ball is in the enemy’s court... so to speak. So we must wait for them to make the next move. In the meantime, it seems Hitsugi is going to talk with her brother while we keep an eye on them. Just to make sure nothing goes wrong and to back her up if any more phantasms appear.


	27. 5 - 2  Change the World

While watching over Hitsugi from the ship, Sarah dropped by to say hello. Apparently Xiao had told her that I was up but not much in detail. Seems Maria is shoving her duties on Sarah instead of doing them herself, I’m hardly surprised really as Maria and Regius really are more hands on agents like myself. When Xiao called in the middle of us talking I couldn’t help but chuckle a little, seems that things between the two of them haven’t changed and, kinda as expected, I was kicked out by Sarah. Always business with her, heh, the more things change the more they stay the same. So I left, but only to head off to a part of the ship where I could keep an eye on Hitsugi. I had a feeling that Mother Corps would likely make their move soon... and I was right. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be right. I ran to the telepool as fast as I could as the readings had spiked of ether gathering at the school. I appeared just in time to cut up some phantasms that would have mowed her down. These summoned vermin were barely worth my time, even the largest of them was no match for me and my pets. Leaving the two of us with this crazed member of Mother Corps. He seemed to think this whole thing was just some movie!

Couldn’t he tell reality from fantasy? Well, I didn’t have time to think on it because Hitsugi seemed so upset. She said she’d lost her brother. That it was her fault, but I didn’t have much time to ask about it before I got notification of a threat downtown. The city before us was in ruins when we arrived, Bethor was starting to bug me and even worse was a three-headed monstrosity that apparently had been sent to wreck havoc. It wasn’t the hardest fight I’ve had, but it also wasn’t the easiest. Yet the thing was felled between the two of us. We retreated back to the ship then to speak with Xiera to see if she had any more information. It seemed all the “accidents” that were happening with the force of ether was due to Bethor. He was able to create explosions with ether alone. Of course we couldn’t rush in blindly, however Xiera stopped her by explaining that there were a few plans that needed to be set in motion and I agreed. We needed to evacuate the area, make sure no one could record the event and take Bethor down. It seemed I was more patient than Hitsugi, but then again patience is a virtue for a reason, so they say. Of course, just as Xiera said, I was ready to follow Hitsugi to fight on Earth; she knows me a little too well.

I thought it was kinda cute that Al asked me to take care of Hitsugi, of course I would; I have been all this time, there was no way I was going to back out. Once things were ready we headed out, the entire time I was aware that all the incidents that had been going on was likely what Hitsugi had said... to draw her out. Likely me as well. Even so, I was never one to back down. I’d fought draconians, falspawn, Dark Falz, the Profound Darkness itself... this was just one more enemy. We mowed down everything in our path, zipping around the town thanks to the speed pads that had been placed in the area. Ideal for literally getting the drop on targets. I loved this technology and it was this kind of head on fight that was a challenge to me and tested me and the pets I had been carefully training. When we’d wiped them out, only then did Bethor show himself again. Normally I would say this about anyone, but Bethor had the most annoying voice that I’d ever recalled hearing. Perhaps it was his tone or just the fact that he was completely insane.

This idiot apparently thought I would be affected by his little show and wasn’t pleased with my lack of response of surprise or anything at his little display of power. This guy, however, was nothing in comparison to any foe I’d fought before now and he didn’t seem to understand this. That he was far outmatched. I had no trouble dealing with him. I did learn one thing from Bethor... Mother Corps was brainwashing those who had the power to harness ether, somehow convincing them to do whatever Mother wanted rather than what those like Hitsugi did. She spoke like a true ARKS member, facing down Bethor. It was for those like her that made me glad that I was able to come to Earth. Hitsugi and I were joined by another ether user, surprisingly it was her brother. It seemed he’d survived Bethor’s homicide attempt and the three of us showed him what it meant to be responsible with the gifts one is given while there were other ether users, Earth Guide - according to Xiera - took down the minions around us. Despite Bethor’s ideals and beliefs, we set up the final curtain call for this so-called modern cinema. 

Thus Bethor Zelanzy, Disciple of Jupiter of Mother Corps, fell. A first major blow to Mother Corps. Though It would be a lie to say we were the true end of him. For it seemed that he had crossed a line that he wasn’t meant to and was taken down by another of the Mother Corps Disciples. There were five others, though one seemed to be just arrogant saying that we looked weak, without knowing. It was rather cold, seeing them cut down one of their own. In the end, he was still obsessed with his film to the bitter end. As expected, the ring leader just made stupid demands as if we were going to give this Mother what she wanted. No one was handing anyone over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos to those who know the universe that has a song the same name of this title and is one I have written stories in.


	28. 5 -3 Brother on Board

Now that everything was over, I got to officially meet Enga, Hitsugi’s older brother. Hitsugi didn’t seem happy that Al so easily accepted Enga and visa versa as family. It seems that ARKS had an ally in Earth Guide, but I didn’t know anything more about Earth Guide than Hitsugi did. I didn’t like what I was hearing about Mother Corps being able to so easily scrub the Earth of life wasn’t good news. Still, better having an ally than none and Enga was our designated go-between apparently between ARKS and Earth Guide. It was kinda comical, watching the two of them together... Enga and Hitsugi. Apparently her brother has a sense of humor she doesn’t share. It was a little awkward that he was so adamant about thanking me for saving her... honestly, I was just glad I could. Perhaps this meant I had a new friend... even if Hitsugi didn’t like it. Enga let us know that Earth Guide wanted to meet with me as a representative of ARKS. I’m not really one to talk when it comes to Enga and Hitsugi, but I didn’t argue when he said she wasn’t ready for this whole ordeal. From the very beginning she was as green as they come when it came to combat, even if she could swing around her weapon. She didn’t know about tactics and I’d lost count how many times during battle I’d saved her from being hurt or worse by the enemy.

Being able to use ether didn’t mean she knew how exactly to use it properly; the two clearly didn’t agree and she wanted to come with us - despite not being invited - to visit Earth Guide. She didn’t seem to know what she wanted and she wasn’t fighting for anything, for any reason. She hadn’t gotten into this mess because she wanted to be, she was following everyone else’s lead because she had no real direction; she was here because she’d been pushed into it, not because she’d chosen it. Hitsugi didn’t really seem to be fully listening to what he was trying to say, instead she flipped it over on him as if it truly mattered what he was fighting for; how could she not see that he fought to keep her safe just as she fought to keep Al safe? Like I fought to keep the fleet safe. It seemed so obvious to me, but... perhaps being in the thick of things made it less obvious. We watched her leave to go think things through. Wasn’t like we were leaving right away anyways. I could only wonder if I was ever once like her... if I was just as confused about things and what I wanted to do... if so, I don’t really remember it. Then again I had slept for a handful of years just to get purged of the F-factor in me after dealing with so much of it... I think there’s a lot I don’t really remember aside form the latest events.

Not because my memory is bad or anything like that, just that... only when I went back over recorded files with my friend did I begin to remember things more vividly. That those memories had become like a dream I’d had and hadn’t really lived. I had once been so green... so new to it all... but I hadn’t fully forgotten, not my friends, not my comrades and not the lives I encountered and helped save, be it through conventional means or the time traveling I had ended up doing. My reason for fighting? I fight to preserve the peace, so that life can go on as it is meant to and flourish. For my friends. For my fellow ARKS and for those who live in the colonies aboard the fleet of Oracle.

And now... for the humans of Earth too. 


	29. 5 - 4  Family and Friend

While we were waiting for word on where we could meet, I learned more about both Hitsugi and Enga. They had lost their parents, who had saved them both from when an entire mall just caved in... only the two of them had survived. Enga had to be the grown up and had been helping take care of Hitsugi, his powers had helped him and he’d gotten support by joining Earth Guide and then things had gotten muddled when his head-strong sister had gone and followed him to his school and then gotten herself mixed up with Mother Corps. While he and I were talking we were interrupted, seemed he’d finally gotten the word that we had been waiting for. So I followed him back to the bridge to hear what he had to say. As we walked, and I thought over the last conversation with Hitsugi, it reminded me of my close friend... Matoi. She wasn’t so different, despite being an ARKS operative.

The meeting place for the Earth Guide was in Las Vegas. It was easy for us to get there, Enga was a little impressed by it, but that didn’t last long as he had noticed someone had been hiding nearby. It kinda figured Hitsugi followed us with help from Xiera, and I wasn’t surprised that he knew, after all family tends to be close. After a moment someone appeared, but it wasn’t our contact. It was a woman with incredible strength. Only my trained reflexes saved me from being carved up like the cement. She seemed rather proper... her name... Phaleg Ives. Apparently she goes out of her way to find “worthy” opponents. It was me she was after... even more news... she was a member of Mother Corps and that’s how she knew of my existence. She was the Disciple of Mars. What was it with them being named after planets in the solar system? Was that some sort of pride or god complex they had? All the more, she wasn’t an active advocate for Mother Corps, all she wanted was battle. Plain and simple. How barbaric. Such a contrast to the eloquent way she spoke and dressed. She just wanted to fight. 

I had no choice but to do battle with her. She seemed vaguely satisfied when the battle concluded, but she was hardly done, merely content that I had kept up with her... and Hitsugi and Enga too. Phaleg pushed Hitsugi, goading her to swing to kill her, but as Enga and I knew, Hitsugi wasn’t ready for such responsibility. Why would she be? I had killed countless enemies. Unlike Hitsugi, I would be more than equipped to deal a death blow without qualms, but Hitsugi was just a child! She did not yet have the growth needed to make such a decision, to end one’s enemy without mercy. She was arrogant on top of it, believing that she would kill us. Hitsugi seemed shaken, but there wasn’t anything we could do about that as the two of us followed Enga for the meeting. 


	30. 5 - 5 Earth Guide

Hitsugi seemed impressed with the expanse beneath the casino. It seemed the elevators were the only way in and out of the place. Not long after the leader of Earth Guide appeared, Adam Sacrid. The moment we made eye contact, however, I felt that something was... hmm, not what it seemed. I still shook hands with him though. There was no reason for suspicion, especially since he seemed to have heard of me and had nothing against me. Even so, there was a tiny voice in the back of my mind, I dismissed it - for the time being - as I had a feeling this was all important too. I’d consider that nagging notion later. For right now Hitsugi was going on about me being an alien... heh, I suppose that, being from a different dimension and from space would make me that to her, but on the flip side, she was the alien to me, even if we were both humans. I took it in stride and didn’t mind that apparently she had forgotten most of the differences between us because I was easy to talk to. I can’t help but feel happy about it. 

Adam went on to explain the situation between them and Mother Corps, how it went from showmanship to actual combat and Earth Guide was way outmatched. According to Adam, they were shooting for world domination and already had anyway. It didn’t seem to make much sense to drag us into this though... unless it was something from my world - my dimension - that they needed. What though? I knew that they were after Al, but why? Did it have something to do with his abilities with ether, as Hitsugi and Enga seemed to suggest it might? Obviously Mother Corps had been rounding up those who could use ether to enter the game PSO2... but the question of why still remained. What did they know that we didn’t? 

Apparently those with a high level of ether could take over their avatars in PSO2... my world, as if it was their own, which explained why the Hitsugi I first met looked so different. Once apparently one got enough experience with ether to reach the next level they could then enter my world without using an avatar... meaning they would be in their own real bodies. Just like Enga and Hitsugi... but what about Al? I got an odd feeling from him that he was more unique than even those two and there was very little that I knew about him. We also learned that the Disciples were level two. Apparently Earth Guide also had the ability to effect the world as well, just as Mother Corps could. Earth Guide seemed to have a rich history of dealing with the supernatural even before the appearance of Mother Corps.

Apparently Earth Guide could handle this alone... until twelve years ago with the discovery of ether and those who could suddenly use it. Now having to deal with Mother Corps, Adam believed that I and ARKS was the only salvation against the threat that Mother Corps posed and asked for our help. Not that I had a chance to answer since there was an explosion, which meant an attack. Seems it was obvious what would happen. ARKS and Earth Guide would face Mother Corps together, eradicating all that stood in our path to return Earth to what it had been before. There were phantasms I hadn’t seen before, but this didn’t deter any of us as we eradicated the enemy across the city. Taking down all the unnaturals in our path.


	31. 6  The Unexpected Blow

After the battle we returned to Earth Guide’s headquarters and Hitsugi asked a great question, if Mother Corps was so against Earth Guide... why hadn’t they attacked the base yet? It seemed, according to Adam, that Mother Corps was against actually doing anything that would harm the planet itself. That struck me as odd, but not illogical. After all, one couldn’t rule a world if there was nothing and no one to rule over to begin with. Also, not knowing exactly where the base was also seemed to play a factor. It seemed Mother Corps was just trying to draw them out again and again.... And it seemed we would have another fight on our hands and not just phantasms. Despite Hitsugi’s conviction, I had doubts that she was ready to take a life.

Perhaps what was surprising was that Hitsugi’s friend, Khori, was with one of the disciples. Like the greenhorn she was... Hitsugi just ran off... I woulda gone off after her but the disciple Och Millar, stood in our way. Enga and I had to deal with the minions and then the larger of the three, but Och decided to split with the help of another. We heard Xiera then over the comms and with that out of the way I dropped down from the building after the naïve Hitsugi. Neither Enga nor I had any idea of the manipulation that had gone so deep into the mind of the other teenager. I didn’t think that Hitsugi was ready for any of this... none of us were. As we knew, Hitsugi wasn’t ready to take a life and was struck down. Without the will to defend herself absolutely against even a former friend, she had fallen in battle in her own ignorance. 

In the end, it was not anything I did that helped Hitsugi or saved her... it was Al. Xiera couldn’t bring herself to tell us exactly what had happened, but Al was able to restore Hitsugi before us and we had a further battle on our hands to protect Hitsugi and Al. I wasn’t going to just let them take Al, I broke the field that was over Al, unfortunately it cost us Hitsugi. The enemy then retreated and Xiera had lost track of Hitsugi as well. It seemed we had lost part of the battle today. With no other option, I picked up Al and we retreated ourselves back to my ship, Thorn. Al felt guilty, but Enga did his best to cheer him; he was grateful for what he had done and while it was obvious that Mother Corps was likely to demand a trade, none of us were going to just hand Al over either. 

Our Earth Guide friends had been busy while we’d been talking, they’d located the Mother Corps base on the satellite that orbited the planet, the Moon. 


	32. 6 - 1  Beyond Normal Reach

Enga insisted that he was just going to do this on his own, of course he wasn’t going alone. No way was I going to just let him go off on a suicide mission without back up. Xiera agreed that ARKS was only helping him to the Moon on the condition that I went with him. Al wanted to go too, but that was out of the question. We couldn’t simply protect him and storm the enemy base at the same time. It was while we were getting ready for this little run though that there was a bit of havoc back on Earth... so we ended up heading there first. A fully armed battleship was making trouble. It was up to us to take it down and take it down we did... what a strange thing it was, like something from my world almost except that it was also more like a phantasm in that a single being controlled the entire ship. What a battle that was... but in the end we triumphed and the thing was dealt with. After that we returned to the ship for more supplies and to recover. Then we set out for the dark side of the Moon.

Aside from the lights that graced the place where we were, it was fairly dark. A long hallway with no one in sight. It seemed like Xiera didn’t know why supplies kept being sent to the Moon even after ether was prevalent on Earth. We could only wonder how they got such high tech on the Moon, but it didn’t matter. We hurried forward and I heard something, but I wasn’t sure what it was and enemies appeared before us. Putting it out of my mind, we destroyed the enemies and moved on... but then, there was that sound... what was it? I didn’t see anything... and soon we came upon the same enemies we’d just fought. It didn’t matter how many of these things they summoned. They weren’t going to stop us. I pressed forward... again and again and then suddenly I stopped after hearing that sound. Something was wrong. Enga asked me why we stopped and I told him that I thought that we were stuck in a time loop, that a few feet away were enemies we’d already fought before. This was the only explanation for the sound I heard and the fact that we were running into the exact same enemies again and again and again... we weren’t gaining any ground. I could sense it, it was the exact same photons... or ether, that we’d encountered before and it was just up ahead of us. Enga seemed confused and tried to contact Xiera, but as I suspected, he was unable to because in a time loop, we would be cut off from the rest of the world. That’s when they finally showed themselves. 

I’m not sure why the enemy thought I was mentally ill to have noticed so quickly that time was looping. Did she not know that photons could be sensed between beings? That even phantasms that looked the same didn’t have the exact same pattern of photons? That ether was the same? How ignorant were those in Mother Corps? It didn’t matter, it was time to get rid of the obstacles before us. The only thing these two seemed to understand was that I was dangerous, that at least was a little flattering, but they didn’t know what they were up against. Och Millar pronounced herself as the Disciple of the Sun and the other - who thought I was dangerous - was Phul Janice Lasswitz - I think - Disciple of the Moon. Seemed fitting. They were nuts to blindly follow this Mother... they didn’t seem to know what they were dealing with. I made sure that they knew, in the end, they’d made a grave mistake. The moment they were down the hallway itself revealed to be an illusion. The whole time we were only feet from our goal. In the end, they taunted us with what they thought was our fault. It was not surprising to hear that Hitsugi had been fragile, but what had truly happened?

It seemed the goal was to draw me away from ARKS all along, I had rushed to save Hitsugi and I realized only then when they said that was their goal, drawing me to the Moon, that I had left my home and my friends defenseless. It had been a trap all along. The rest of Mother Corps and phantasms were attacking the ARKS ship. We heard Xiera’s call for help and rushed back, leaving the two to a crumbling base. The portal Enga had to get us out of there returned us to the school. It was a one time thing, according to him; somehow we needed to get back to the ARKS ship to help them only to be told by Earth Guide that it was just... gone. I didn’t like that.

I would later learn, from Xiera, that Mother’s true identity was that of the replica of Xion that the Photoners once made and then discarded when they could not control her. It was only with help of Hitsugi that I was able to return back to the ship; through the bond of our photons, the will to fight... I don’t have the words to fully explain it. The moment I was back on the ship I did what I do best and ran off the intruders of Mother Corps. They hadn’t seemed to have been prepared for my return so suddenly or that I was ready to take them on with Matoi as well as dispersing the phantasms that had appeared. In the end, the two retreated. All Mother Corps agents did, Xiera seemed distraught that she hadn’t been able to protect Al, but seeing the transformation in Hitsugi... she had matured. Perhaps now she finally was ready to take on the burden she had decided was her own. 


	33. 6 - 2  Another Run In

It was nice to be able to spend some time with Matoi, even if because it had been so long that we’d been together that she didn’t know where to start. We spoke of what had just occurred, it seemed Hitsugi had made a friend in Matoi as well. It seemed that they both were alike, they knew they weren’t alone. 

I heard about a corrupted region that appeared on Amduskia, home of the draconians. I wasn’t sure of the reason of it, but it seemed that the reason behind it was because of Aika’s own shift into being a Dark Falz. It seemed that the appearance of corrupted regions was because of Dark Falz or the Profound Darkness. I’m glad that Matoi doesn’t regret what had happened, even if it was bad. 

It’s my theory that one of the more probable causes for the appearance of this corrupted region was due to Mother Corps and the attack. For the moment, the war in our world has calmed and due to this I was able to do a few things. I even met up with Huey on Earth to deal with some phantasms. At least that was the original plan, but turns out that we were too late and instead the phantasms were wiped out... by Phaleg. 

I wasn’t particularly surprised when I heard her disdain over the lack of fight from the phantasm that I’d faced before, so of course this led to a fight between me and her yet again, with Huey caught in the middle. Not that he can’t handle himself. The two of us took her on easily. I don’t know why she called it play, I think she’s out of her mind honestly, but that doesn’t matter. It wasn’t too long after the fight that she, of course, fled. Huey didn’t think that she was taking us seriously and somehow I had to agree. The two of us headed back to the ship after that. 


	34. 6 - 3  A New Breed of Threat

I went to check on Xiera to see how she was faring from the entire episode with Mother Corps. Seems she was still recuperating a bit. Hitsugi insisted on apologizing for everything, but it wasn’t her fault, she wasn’t responsible for what happened with Mother Corps. According to Xiera we managed to get the ARKS ship under our control again and there were countermeasures in place now to prevent a second breach and due to the misuse of limiters by the enemy, most of the personnel of ARKS who couldn’t fight evacuated to safety. So there was that. Unfortunately we lost Al in the incident to Mother, Hitsugi seemed to have a connection to him still though; there was hope that it might be useful in times to come but there was much uncertainty in me now about Al’s fate. As experienced as I am, there is still much I do not know or understand about photons themselves or how they work. 

From what little we know, thanks to Earth Guide and ARKS record, the being known as Mother was a duplicate of the Akashic Records Xion. The first duplicate, made by the Photoners who were able to create, but not control her. Abandoning her in subspace was the mistake that had led to the present time. She had managed to find her way to Earth and had become Mother. The reason that photons and ether were so similar was because they were originally one and the same. It seemed that Earth Guide wasn’t holding us responsible for this, however. It was just as well. As for Al, it was discovered that Al was really a dark crystal that had given itself form when I had awaken. Al was Dark Falz. He had been a fragment of the Profound Darkness. It seemed that a new Dark Falz had tried to take over Hitsugi... that dark figure we’d seen. It made sense now. It seemed that when I had saved her from, whatever the figure had been at the time, it had latched itself onto her avatar the moment that she had logged out of PSO2, with that, and my photons, added with the negative photons of the Dark Falz, all of it... it created Al as we knew him.

Al was a miraculous combination of ether and photons, a hybrid between my photons and Hitsugi’s ether, neutralizing the power of Dark Falz within him. So now this meant that Mother had Al’s F-factor. Meaning that now his Dark Falz side was not being suppressed. New phantasms appeared; the three of us hurried to investigate and do battle. These new phantasms, however, were stronger than ones we’d encountered before. Still not much of a threat in the scheme of things, but they were completely different from the usual phantasms. Hybrids of falspawn and phantasms... falspawn made of ether. Enga put it quite well when he said it was a mess... As if we didn’t have enough problems to deal with, now there were these new... I’m not sure that they could fully be called phantasms but they weren’t fully falspawn either. Whatever name one wants to give them, enemies are enemies to me. It took some time to root them all out of the city and send them packing. 


	35. 6 - 4  All Aside

According to Xiera, these things were a result from Al’s F-factor coming to be more dominate. Hitsugi named them as ESCA falspawn. It seemed to fit. Apparently falspawn had once appeared on Earth and had caused a lot of trouble even with only a small band. Of course Hitsugi still thought this was her problem alone, Enga and I cleared that notion from her mind. Hitsugi isn’t alone. Of course it wasn’t long before Khori dropped in. I knew we would see her again. This psychotic minded individual... disillusioned by Mother. Manipulated... we were forced into a fight with her again. This time we came out on top. It was clear to me that something needed to be done about Khori. We had to find a way to save her from Mother’s influence some how. Though I wasn’t sure she was able to be saved, she definitely had a couple of screws loose... but according to Hitsugi she hadn’t been like this before. I didn’t like this. 

It seemed that the wake up call she needed came when Hitsugi saved her from an ESCA falspawn. It seemed indeed that she was being manipulated by one of the others, Ophiel Hurbert the Disciple of Mercury. He was not pleased at our interference. It was clear then that he had brainwashed Khori. He claimed he was helping her fulfill her wishes, but I know brainwashing when I see it and Enga knew it too. We needed a plan to get Khori away from them. She was Hitsugi’s friend after all. We returned to the ship to report what had happened.  It seems that we cannot ignore the threat of the ESCA falspawn.

Of course not long after that discussion Casra had to come poking his head around, accusing our Earth friends of being spies for the enemy. Even if they were the only ones who might have had any motive they certainly didn’t do such a ridiculous thing. I have to wonder sometimes where he gets these hairbrained ideas. It was rather rude and presumptuous. I definitely thought him out of line and said as much when he asked my own opinion on the matter. I’ve been around both Enga and Hitsugi, there was no need for such a ridiculous notion! They’d never done anything suspicious, while Hitsugi had been once duped by Mother Corps that didn’t make her a traitor. Even if it was his job to keep others safe and collect information, that was still quite rude... as Xiera mentioned it to be. 

I had a rather... interesting personal conversation with Xiera later, apparently she’d been modeled after Admiral Ulku and she was rather... opinionated about how she and her fellow Xiera-types on the other ships were not fully formed with the same... chest form as the reference personality. Xiera literally was made to oversee the ship. It seems that while on one hand, she didn’t mind, but as a woman... she felt it was a personal affront that she should try to bring to Xiao... not that he listened. She insisted that I understand her feelings on the matter, but honestly, I’m not sure anything really could be done about something that was - in the scheme of things - kinda trivial. We have enough problems as it is.

Speaking of problems, when I went to speak to Xiera about a possible mission I was considering taking on - but hadn’t made up my mind on and wanted a second opinion about its relevance - I found the twin informants Pati and Tia with Xiera looking at me for help. I could only wonder what the heck was going on. Why were these two bugging Xiera? Apparently now Pati wanted her own title... like what I had. Great... she wanted her own official title now? What next? An exclusive trip to Earth? Xiera then had to explain why Matoi and I weren’t on the Council of Six ourselves. On the short, they believed that we weren’t meant for the type of work that the Council of Six handled which was different to our approach and so instead we were given titles exclusive to us. Pati still kept bugging Xiera despite that she said that it was up to the Admiral for things like that. She then told Pati that if she really wanted an exclusive title that she’d need to have some great accomplishments, something like what I did... heh, that was kinda embarrassing. So Tia’s idea was to find some information that would reverberate through ARKS history... which apparently was finding out how to get rid of the Profound Darkness. I could only shake my head as I watched the two leave. Well, at least now that meant Pati would leave Xiera be. 

I had to admit though, if they really could find such intel they really would make it into history. Not to mention be awarded with special titles.

I also learned more about Khori from Hitsugi during my down time between minor missions. 


	36. 6 - 5  Friends to the End

There were ESCA falspawn readings at Hitsugi’s school, we rushed to protect the innocent students, myself, Hitsugi and Enga. We did not expect to run into Khori, who was fighting off ESCA falspawn oddly. It seemed the place meant something to her too and thus she helped us fight off the ESCA falspawn. Not that it took long to do. It seemed that Khori had been forced to come to the school, in order to draw us out again... more specifically, Hitsugi. She seemed to have broken free of Ophiel’s control, but it was only temporary. She was being played like a puppet. Brainwashed to thinking that she would get her wish if she killed Hitsugi. Death wasn’t the answer though and thus we were forced to fight Khori once again. Once more I overpowered the young girl but I took no pleasure in doing so. She wasn’t our enemy, not like ESCA falspawn or falspawn... not like Mother or even the Profound Darkness was.

Hitsugi was put in a very terrible position... it reminded me of what I had once done with Matoi... and I couldn’t watch it play out. I interfered before she could strike, telling her that she shouldn’t give up on her friend... just like I hadn’t given up on Matoi. Xiera backed me up. With ether and photons being the same, I knew that Hitsugi could do this. To use the power she had to save instead of to kill, just as I had with Matoi... and I added the power of my photons to her blade to give her the ability to break the hold over the girl’s mind and disperse the ether that was controlling her. As expected, the power was broken and watching the two friends reconnect was worth it. Watching them reminded me of me and Matoi in our early days... It was a bitter-sweet thing to witness honestly. 

At least the two friends were together again, even if now it was getting to the point of ridiculousness. Xiera asked us to look at the Moon, getting our attention, before our eyes the sphere shifted to a luminesently dark blue... strangely beautiful but at the same time, I knew this could not be good. Mother Corps base had been on the Moon, I wondered what this could mean, but it was certainly not a good thing. We retreated back to the Thorn.


	37. 7  Some Down Time

The visual of it seemed that the ESCA falspawn were trying to make a path from the Moon to Earth via their bodies with their numbers alone... it reminded me much of when the Profound Darkness tried to overtake Naverius. Khori seemed to stumble over herself to apologize to anyone and everyone for all sorts of things. She even said she’d do anything to make it up... Xiera then decided to leave it up to me! What the heck was I supposed to do with the desperate girl?! She really got some wild ideas about what sort of things she would have to do in order to make things up from committing ritual suicide to being a maid or something that was totally embarrassing for us both and she just kept going on and on and it got more and more ridiculous... Hitsugi said I had to say something to stop her from getting even more wild ideas. I had to think of something and then I nearly facepalmed. Of course... so I asked Khori to support Hitsugi. It was what friends normally did, right? Plus it would get her to stop making up ridiculous ideas about what she needed to do in order to make up for what she’d done.

Enga had a good way of putting it. That she should stop worrying about small things and focus on what was actually important, like being a good friend. All we could do now was wait for Xiera’s call. In the meantime I found Io and Katori were in the shopping district yelling about joining their different classes and down grading Summoners. Why did she have a grudge against my class? I just kinda shook my head at the two and went about my day. Later that day I was with Khori, Hitsugi and Enga when we ran into Risa. Those interactions are always interesting. Seeing Khori’s reaction to Risa reminded me of Hitsugi’s first reaction. We also were invited to Earth Guide a few days later so Khori got to meet Adam too. Seems like she is also having doubts about him. She said she thought he was desperate, maybe that was why I had that weird feeling when I was around him. Maybe that was it. 

I went off to think on this on my own, it was when I did though that I ran into two of the Council of Six, Klarys and Huey, along with Sarah. Apparently they’d just finished a meeting. Apparently it had dragged on because Klarys and Sarah couldn’t agree so that they ended up talking in circles. It made me glad I wasn’t in that meeting myself. That would drive me nuts. 

When we got in contact with Earth Guide just before our battle with Mother Corps, the video feed seemed to be buggy. It was weird. I felt like I heard something that Enga didn’t actually say... something about them seeing through him? I wondered what that was about. 


	38. 7 - 1  Down Below

Our group consisted of myself, Enga, Hitsugi and Khori; when we arrived at the base where Mother was said to be it was huge... and it was below ground instead of above. Enga seemed to marvel at it... in his own way. I supposed it was impressive honestly, it seemed to be the same technology as what ARKS had when we fought Dark Falz Elder in space. It seemed also very similar to the ship that I remember was the mothership Xion had. It seemed that she was making the Moon into a mothership of sorts. At least that was Khori’s theory, I didn’t have time to think it over before someone else spoke up. It was strange, really. Khori seemed to know this individual. Our enemy had a bit of a sense of humor. Aratron Tolstoy the Disciple of Saturn, he was not an enemy to take lightly. Unlike those before, including the first of those that Hitsugi had dealt with who ended up just disappearing into the shadows.... Hagito “Hagith” Anie, a celebrity of sorts, this was an electrifying battle. 

Aratron was an opponent I could respect, for he didn’t fight for some flimsy reasoning, rather, admitted his folly of being stubborn in his ways, to wanting to defend Mother but the point of right and wrong... was always a matter of perception. He believed that Mother was doing good and just things and stood with her for it, but not because he was blinded to the faults. No, it was because he had become determined to follow through with his original vows to this individual, right or wrong. He said to me that, being the seasoned warrior I am, that I would understand him. He was correct. For it is our stout determination and will that allows us to continue forward. To do what we believe is right and correct those who are in the wrong. 

ESCA falspawn appeared near the end of our conversation. Aratron conceded the fight, he made it simple for us... he would let us go forward while he stayed behind and dealt with the ESCA falspawn that had appeared. He didn’t look back, but he continued to push Khori forward. All of us took off, only Khori hesitated while we pushed forward to deal with Mother. To end all of this. We couldn’t delay. As we pressed on more of the ESCA falspawn stood in our way, but we cut through them and pressed on. It was time to end this, it had gone on for far too long already. 


	39. 7 - 2  The Shadow Behind Us

Of course, guarding the gate, was a ESCA falspawn of the Dark Ragne. It was dealt with easily though and I led the way through the gate, much like the one on the Mothership I remembered from what seemed like a lifetime ago. The scene we came upon was so very familiar.... It was like with Luther and Xion those years ago. How she knew I had seen such a place before I have no idea, but it didn’t matter. Mother told us of her birth, that she crashed into Earth, changing its life and shattered her, forcing her to spend endless time putting herself back together. In short, Mother was literally the Moon that the planet had always known. Her goal was to prove she was not a failed creation, to get revenge on the Photoners, who didn’t even exist anymore. She wanted to travel back in time to get retribution. It was petty. In short, we would clash with Mother, who wanted to end me and Hitsugi so that Al would be lost forever within her. Thus, the battle began. I had never fought one like Xion before, I did not know what to expect but as a replica... she was... underwhelming. The battle was long, but it wasn’t hard. I had more problems with some of the Dark Falz than I had with this pale imitation of my friend. 

Mother’s dark emotions, however, awoken the dark shadow that lay in Al and it absorbed her, transforming her into a new Dark Falz. A new expression of it and it was as huge as Luther had been. It was not going to be easy to save them... not as simple as Hitsugi thought, but at the same time, I couldn’t tell her otherwise. I could only support her as we launched into battle yet again. This time it was much more fierce. When the battle was near its end, Matoi showed up to help and between the two of us we held off the Dark Falz’s power, the others holding off the Ether power while Hitsugi delivered the final blow, splitting the two apart and cutting the Dark Falz out as well. The form falling apart in a blinding white light. When it was gone, everyone was back to normal and it seemed like everything worked out for the best. Al was happy to see everyone, even Khori. 

It was just as Mother was thanking Hitsugi that things went poorly. She stopped in the middle of her words as she was struck down by Adam. It seemed that Ophiel had betrayed her. Like Luther before him, Adam absorbed Mother, at that moment, all I saw standing before me was another monster... another Dark Falz. He was so misguided... just as Luther had been. He proclaimed himself to be a leader of Earth... but no, he wasn’t a leader. Like Luther, it seems he played a bunch of us for fools, just as Luther had done with ARKS. Ophiel seemed so certain that his betrayal was the right thing... that Adam’s ideals were the right ones, but all I saw was another Luther. Instead of a quest for mere knowledge, Adam was consumed by his obsession for change and evolution. Wanting things to evolve and continue to change, while change could be good, but not like this. Change was inevitable but at the same time, this so-called stagnation Adam spoke of wasn’t a bad thing. 

He wanted to change the world... apparently he was a millennial being, just as Luther had been, an immortal who had moved through Earth’s history. A leader in many fields. From helping the King of Britain to the fields of Astronomy and even fighting off spirits in Japan. Clearly this being had been helpful, certainly, but now that helpfulness had morphed into an egotistical-ism that drove him to do things that no one truly should do. It seems whoever he truly is, his true name has long since been forgotten in all the name changes he’s had over such a long time. It wasn’t long before our conversation was interrupted by Phaleg, who revealed herself to not only also be an immortal herself but also the enemy of Adam. 

Even so, Adam escaped to do... whatever it was he planned. Something about evolving the planet. I didn’t understand honestly what he was going on about. I knew that there was something wrong with Adam from the first moment that I met with him. It seems Khori was not wrong in her assessment either. Adam was desperate... desperate for change. For something new. He had spoken though as if life were a game and lives of intelligent beings were mere toys for him. This would not do. Not at all. 


	40. 7 - 3  Unwanted Change

We all returned to the bride to speak with Xiera, it seemed that after Adam left all communications with Earth Guide were lost. Other branches though sent messages asking what was going on, unaware of Adam’s true intent. Adam had been using Earth Guide and ARKS. Phaleg was with us, she clarified apparently what Adam’s thoughts were. That he thought he was always doing good and saw Mother as an evil being who abused the Earth for her own ends, blind to the middle ground that most mortals walk. Believing himself just and good. That his goals to evolve humanity was just. He was going to play god. Regretting his own exile. Though exile from what she did not explain. It seems that Phaleg’s plan is to kill Adam. It seems to be, to her, the only solution. 

What to do about Adam was certainly a very sticky situation indeed. It seems that Phaleg insisted on being Hitsugi’s rival. I cannot say I understand the why of that or why I needed to be her escort back to Earth. Perhaps it was just an excuse to talk, well, whichever I was going to do it anyway apparently. It was just normal, for the first few minutes anyway; not every day someone says that they’ll fight me as a motion of thanks. Phaleg certainly is a strange one, strange one or not, it went from being boring to unusual the moment we felt an earthquake and turned as a voice called out for help. The human stumbled towards us only to turn into a phantasm before our eyes. I had no choice... I cut them down, and it wasn’t just one, but dozens. I felt a mix of guilt and anger, being forced to cut down what had once been innocent civilians... I agreed with Phaleg’s assessment, this was an unwarranted desecration of human life.

We gathered around Xiera on the bridge, the sudden appearance of phantasms all over the world was linked to an increase in Ether on the planet, clearly unnatural and forcing the change over humanity. Being so closely linked to the Ether and Photons, Al was having a very difficult time with this whole thing and I didn’t blame him. He was near freaking out and honestly, who wouldn’t be? The changes were atrocious, to say the very least. It was Khori who suggested that Adam might be trying to give rise to a god. It didn’t seem so far fetched as far as what his goal could really be... and then, our human friends said they needed our help to stop him. I’m not really used to being bowed at honestly, but I got that this was their way of communicating what was a desperate need... something in Earth culture I guess. Still struck me as odd, but these were my friends, my companions... there was no way I was going to turn my back on them now. 

Xiera thought maybe it had something to do with their planet too... or their nationality at the very least. Maybe she was right on that one, made me wonder what other nationalities might have done in the same instance, but it was a question for a different time. 


	41. 7 - 4  Ship Work

Once I was done with preparations to head back to Earth I spent some time alone in the Shopping Plaza only to run into Quna, who I hadn’t seen for a while. Seems she got busy with the Intelligence Bureau, she was a member of it now after all. She seemed to have heard about things that were happening, although why she thought I wasn’t phased by anything - battle hardened vetern or not - I have no idea, but apparently Quna planned to a special show for Oracle and Earth once everything was over. I was pleased to hear it honestly. She’d never failed to deliver, of course I’d keep it a secret... and I was a bit honored that it was a gift for me too. I would most definitely have to see it. 

The next time that I got to the bridge to talk to Xiera I found her freaking out a little over her complaint on the matter of grilling our Earth friends and Xiera seemed to think it was a bit of a disaster. I was not surprised Casra himself had come to speak to her in person. It was just the way he was. He was just there to apologize formally. He was also worried about hidden data on Hitsugi, but Xiera was certain it was just the data we had that had included a rather personal scene of every day life, I shifted the conversation to throw him off though it seems it wasn’t enough to fool him from realizing she was the one who had hid the data. I had no answer to her question as to what was up with Casra. He was just being himself for all I knew. 

Later I ran into Matoi and Sarah. Apparently Matoi was helping Sarah with what she called “busy work,” that was paperwork. Seemed the reason was mostly because Matoi had been overdoing it. Again. 


	42. 7 - 5  Avatar Arms

While we were waiting for everyone to fully be ready to rally, the group gathered on the bridge to talk about the weapons that Enga, Hitsugi and Khori summoned. Avatar Arms was what they were called. It was interesting, learning the stories behind the swords. HItsugi’s sword had ties with the first blade she’d wielded, Khori’s was based on a mythological magical sword that was said to bring destruction to those around it as well as being famed for killing dragons, whatever those were. As for Enga’s weapon... he had made it into a gun for the sake of efficiency as apparently it wasn’t legal for just anyone to carry a weapon around and they couldn’t get him on having a weapon if it was one he could summon and disperse at will. 

It sounded like these weapons were very useful in their own ways, though Khori and Hitsugi didn’t seem too pleased as to the reasoning behind Enga’s weapon. Ah well, each to their own.


	43. 8  Bowels of the Earth

Enga, Hitsugi, Khori and I headed deep into the Earth via some very ancient ruins. At the end of these ruins was where the source of all the Ether was, according to Xiera. It was hidden beneath Earth Guide’s headquarters. It was unclear how far it went down. Khori was concerned about it going to the center of the planet, which was supposed to be very warm indeed. I don’t blame her, but at the same time I knew we had to do this. Not long after we had company, thus our first battle in the ruins began. Once they were out of the way we continued deeper, but as we did so, more and more enemies spawned before us. Former humans who were now cursed into a form they had not wanted... and all to impede us. 


	44. 8 - 1  The Ancient

It did not surprise me when Ophiel appeared, I’d had a feeling he would stand in our way, especially after his double faced revelation of working for both Adam and Mother Corps. He sided with Adam’s goals, of course he’d try and stand in the way. His talk of evolution reminded me of Luther, but while Luther had wanted to know it all, Ophiel desired evolution; he trapped us into battle, but even after being beaten his shield still remained and we could not hope to go further... however, another of Mother Corps appeared to deal with him... Phaleg. We ran ahead to try and stop Adam... Delayed further by more enemies, but still we pressed on. When we thought that we would be detained too long, to our surprise we ran into some familiar faces from Mother Corps, all survivors. Phul, Aratron and Och appeared but instead of fighting us they ushered us forward as they took on the foes that had tried to stand in our way. It seemed that they had survived because of Phaleg. I passed them and continued deeper and deeper, the fight continued however as there were more who would try to impede us. 

Adam was determined to show us the power he had once we arrived, and thus we fought, but we were too late to stop whatever he had begun and by the end of our battle... Adam was no more. Something else appeared. Overtaking his body, he had made himself a sacrifice to call a powerful being. One he believed to be the god of the world. This was a force that I had never seen the likes of before... it was truly a formidable opponent, a creature not unlike Dark Falz in its strength of power, in its thoughts of itself and what it had to do. We stood to oppose it, but this creature sent me back and the humans I had come to know were left defenseless... This was the power of an ancient creature. A being to which I had no words to describe.


	45. 8 - 2  Will

I was not one to give up. To give in. I had faced many foes of all sorts of strengths and forms, I was not going to so easily let my friends be turned to dust simply for one man’s misguided aspirations either. I had to quickly explain things to Xiera and it was through our will that we returned to stand with our Earth friends. Through sheer will, the help of Xion’s replica’s power through Al and Xiera’s navigational skill and intelligence, I returned to them through the portal of the game they had used to reach us, and returned to Hitsugi’s avatar arm. Al came with me, with Mother using his power and body to speak. Mother returned Khori and Enga’s weapons to them as well and we turned to face this creature that called itself a god. It wasn’t a true deity, according to Mother and I was inclined to believe her. We knew what was at stake. The fate of the very Earth itself. 

Yet, our will was to save those who depended on us. We would not back down against this creature and so we were determined to protect the imperfection that was Earth, as the thing said. I would stand with my friends to protect what they loved, what they wished to protect. The battle was far from an easy one, but we were triumphant still. The final blow, separating this creature from Adam, came from Hitsugi, whose weapon was not meant to spill blood, but to act like a healing fire. To separate entities into what they were originally, though her blade could not separate the creature from Adam, Hitsugi had the drive to prove that humanity did not need the creature to continue into a better future. It left of its own free will, leaving behind Adam and we and him were returned to the ruins. Adam was still convinced that things would go as he had planned, in the future, but Enga was still convinced that humanity would prevail. 

I am not sure where Adam disappeared to, but disappear he did; one last time we saw Mother. Who had helped us, but using the last of her power she no longer had the strength to continue to exist with us. She looked at me, asking if she was closer to being like Xion. In truth, I could not say for certain since I had known Xion for such a short amount of time and yet... they seemed so similar now. Thus I could only reassure her that she was now like the Xion that I had known, however brief a time it had been. She seemed content with that. After she left, so did we. Heading back to where it was we belonged. 


	46. 8 - 3  One Month

Only a month had passed and things seemed to be like they were before things had changed. Aratron took over Mother Corps, most weren’t aware of Mother’s absence while Phul and Och became teachers at the school. Phaleg is looking for someone to spar with, it’s become the norm. Even to me actually. 

I thought that there might be some day that I might spar with her, but no time soon. As for me, I’ve gone back to ARKS missions back home. Things are as busy as usual, but I’m glad that things are normal for my Earth friends. 

Al decided that he would stay on Earth with Hitsugi and the others. It was really his decision and I’m glad that he can be happy and have a normal life. With the phantasms mostly taken care, there was really no reason for us to stay, but still, I think about them from time to time. I’m sure that, when they’re not busy, that they’ll come visit us. They still have the gateway after all.


	47. 8 - 4  For Our Earth Friends

Of course we were waiting for them when they did show up and, at Xiera’s call ,I showed up to say hello. It was the best timing honestly. It was a bit amusing that Hitsugi seemed to be flustered, having forgotten whatever she’d planned to say to me. Of course, there was that surprise for everyone down in the Shopping Plaza and the three of us headed there to find that many of my fellow ARKS were there enjoying Quna’s concert. I was glad we made it in time for her song that she’d made just for our Earth friends.

We spent the time together celebrating our victory and catching up. After all, a month had passed. We had a fair amount to catch up on. The hours flew by pretty quickly and, of course, my friends headed back home but I was glad that they had made it in time to see the concert as much as to just see them. There was no chance I was going to forget them any time soon. I felt certain that we’d have more adventures together in the future, exploring the universe that I was born into.


	48. 8 - 5  Phaleg

Of course Phaleg wouldn’t give up and called me on the ARKS ship for a spar, again. As Xiera said, she was absurdly strong and was just looking for anyone to spar with as a way to kill time since she was bored. Having nothing better to do myself, there was no point in not doing so. When I got there I was surprised she had a place prepared for us to go full out on without hurting innocents. Apparently there was no point to this duel but some sort of prestige and bragging rights. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised and while I did my best against her, it certainly wasn’t enough. Though she seemed amicable enough about it and we parted ways. 

Even so, I plan to challenge her again, some day.


	49. 9 Operation Save Persona

We’ve been fighting the Profound Darkness for a while now. Continuously pushing it back each time it shows up. Again and again we fight it. As Xiera predicted, we did indeed find a way to separate Persona from the Profound Darkness. We were determined to save her, regardless. Matoi and I headed in alone, our solution was to utilize the power of Hitsugi’s blade, a power that I had gained during the time helping Earth. With its power behind me, the goal was to purify the Profound Darkness and separate it from Persona once and for all. It was a rather tough fight, just as before, but we managed it. Like before we had to fight the Profound Darkness until it was weak enough to use the purification against it. Before it could withdraw to start the cycle again, however, before I could do so I was grabbed and vanished with the Profound Darkness as time itself seemed to warp. 

Everything went dark.


	50. 9 - 1  A Place Beyond Time

When the darkness lifted I found myself in a flower field, but... where was I? I did not know this place, I had never seen it before that I could recall. Persona and the Profound Darkness were nowhere to be seen. I heard a commotion and turned to see what looked to be several individuals chasing another. I rushed towards them to see if the other needed assistance, hearing their calls I had a bad feeling about this... and the flower I saw. It summoned creatures that were not human and that attacked the other. I didn’t hesitate to cut them down. The woman seemed to need help and this thing called Ephemera? Whatever it was... it summoned the creatures and the woman asked for my help officially and thus our battle began. Though it was short lived, these creatures were nothing to what I had dealt before and the three attackers turned tail like cowards. 

Of course when she asked I introduced myself, learning that she was being hunted. Before I could learn who she was, however, a voice interrupted. One I had never heard before, who stated I was lost in the Records... At the time, I did not know what this voice meant, but I would later figure out it was the Akashic Records that I had ended up in. Somehow. Just like that I disappeared before the young woman and found myself plopped back onto the ARKS bridge as if I’d never left. 

Startling Xiao, Matoi and Xiera. I would have told them what had happened, but then that voice again. It seemed she had followed me back to the ship and her name was Alma. The very same friend to whom I have been telling this story to since the end of the records. According to Xiao she’s the very first Klariskrays. 


	51. 9 - 2   The Extreme

It wasn’t easy to believe, at first honestly, but she proved herself through using a trick that Luther used to bend the flow of time. Unfortunately only those with a connection to Xion can see her; it was proved, however, that because she was made of pure photons that others - like Risa - could track her even if they couldn’t see her, which makes sense. Photons connect us all. It was long after our chat with Alma that Xiao turned my attention to him and explained what had happened since I had disappeared. It seemed that this black hole had appeared and seemed to be pulling in everything around it.

Xiera explained that something wasn’t right, that this black hole was no ordinary black hole. It was growing at a very unnatural rate. Yet, somehow readings on me beforehand, when they had been trying to locate me, had come from inside the black hole itself... How was that possible? From what little I knew of black holes, it should be impossible to be inside one and not get crushed so then... how had a whole world been in side there? I didn’t, unfortunately, have time to think much on my questions. According to Alma, the place beyond the black hole was where the planet Xion had once been long ago. The origin point of the universe itself and the first thing to ever exist in the universe had been the Akashic Record.

Alma decided we should call the world I had been on ‘Omega’ and told us that it was a world that was made from the memories of the Akashic Record that had been given form. Thus, it was literally a memory version of the events that had occurred in the very universe itself. I have to admit that this kind of thing was difficult to comprehend. I had no idea there was even such a thing that had kept track of every single thing that had gone in the universe, let alone would be able to replicate the events. 

Alma also thinks that this is linked to the events on Earth and the ether. Basically when ether met with photons. Leading to something like this was definitely something I wouldn’t have imagined possible, and according to Xiao the Profound Darkness warped inside and manifested itself there, which meant, of course, somehow I had to go back. The result of the Profound Darkness inside the Akashic Record was what made the black hole that we know of now, that was devouring the universe.

There’s no doubt about it in my mind, this is a threat we cannot ignore and must do something about. Existence itself depends on it. 


	52. 9 - 3  A Lesson From the Records

Of course we needed to do something to help Alma protect the Akashic Record, helping was what ARKS was all about and this had to do with the Profound Darkness and our operation to free Persona from it. There was no way we could get to Omega on our own, Alma was going to have to send us in. Xiera had to explain to Matoi that the reason Alma could get us in was because she could stop time and gravity couldn’t work when time was stopped, thus allowing us to go into the black hole and out the other side as if it was nothing more than air. Matoi still had her reservations, hearing that Xiera and I were going and she was needed to stay behind. It was going to be my first adventure with Xiera, who seemed to be worried and yet excited at the prospect as well. Of course I reassured her that I would protect her.

Before we went, of course, I learned a few things. Alma was a wealth of knowledge after all, who would pass up the opportunity to learn? I learned about photons, how they were seen as a toll by Photoners of old as a tool for them to use. That it was a source of energy. That wasn’t all either, I also learned about the meaning behind Klariskrays name. According to Alma, it wasn’t really her name or even a title given to her at all. It was the name of the photons that had existed inside of Alma. Basically that she had more than one personality. As she’d struck up conversations with her photons when she had been young as she had been frail. It seems then that they’d taken on a personality all of their own from that. That after her body initially died, Klariskrays gave her a new form... or rather, became her vessel and that other personality faded away.

I’m not sure I fully understand how this is possible, but I don’t doubt the validity of it.


	53. 9 - 4  Grown Up

One thing that I thought was different, and apparently Matoi did too, was that Xiao now seemed to be all grown up. The original form we met him in had seemed something like a child, even though he had not acted like one at all. At least not like any child I knew. Now he seemed to be a grown young man, though he really hadn’t changed all that much since I had last seen him. Apparently his reasoning was so that others would feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts to him. According to Xiera, he’s been that way for the past two years. So Xiera hadn’t seen the younger Xiao since she was literally a creation really rather than a normal life form. Alma seemed mused at this. Of course Xiao tried blaming Sarah for his being a brat, but I wasn’t letting that one slide.

While he looks grown up, he really hasn’t changed all that much and is still just as mischievous towards Sarah as ever. Some things never change I guess... and honestly, there’s some comfort in that. 


	54. 9 - 5  Return to Omega

With Alma’s help, Xiera and I arrived on Omega. It looked like before, but Xiera was tiny! Like about the size of my hand tiny! Apparently she was a fairy? Well, at least at this size she couldn’t get into too much trouble... right? Or at least wouldn’t be a large target for any enemies that we crossed. I followed her guidance to a nearby encampment where we were stopped by a soldier and what looked like a newman. The woman before that I had met and whose side I had fought by appeared suddenly. I learned from the newman-like individual that this woman’s name was Harriette. Fortunately she remembered me and vouched for us and led us to her tents to talk. The other’s name, I learned, was Varuna. He seemed to be something like a personal bodyguard from what I could tell. Harriette knew that we were strangers to the land that she knew, apparently I was part of some legend but before I could learn more there was a ruckus outside and Varuna appeared to say that an army had appeared with sorcerers to summon something called a Castrum Demonica. 


	55. 10  Castrum Demonica

Harriette seemed worried about this and that the issue must be dealt with. Of course I wanted to help so of course when Xiera asked what we should do of course I told her that it went without saying because we were ARKS, helping others is what we do. There was a fight to meet them, of course, Harriette’s soldiers tried to deal with the summoned creatures to keep the castle from being summoned, but they were too late and the Castrum Demonica was summoned before the soldiers. The news came as I left the tent, I had a feeling that this was going to be a hard fight, especially as Harriette said that they had no real way of defeating the castle straight out due to the wall that protected it. Enemies surged forward and of course I leapt to help, they were no different than fighting the inhabitants of Naverius or Wopal. They fell to my pets just as quickly once I learned their weaknesses. 

Once the soldiers had retreated it was time for me and Harriette to go as well, but she refused, saying that she was going to summon the Buster Tower and she did try, but unfortunately she could not keep it stable. More enemies appeared, but I handled them with ease and kept them from getting close to Harriette. Of course we told her we weren’t going to abandon her in her time of need. Even so, it did not seem to be in our favor even though these enemies were nothing to someone like me. Even with the hopeless situation we were left with, I was sure I could do it... and the tower that was unstable before, stabilized. Harriette told us about the Buster Tower, that through its power it could break through the wall protecting the Castrum Demonica and once it had we could face the creature and take it down.

With this information I surged into the fight. It was tough, as I was not familiar with many of the foes that came before me, but soon enough I learned and turned the tide of battle, destroying the wall and rushing up to the Castrum Demonica and putting an end to it. 


	56. 10 - 1  Ephemera

With the Castrum Demonica defeated, we returned to the camp. We learned that the Castrum Demonica was a summoned demon that could summon other demons to protect itself. A thing called magic existed in this world and through the use of mana could magic be used, it seemed a lot like how photons and techniques worked and Xiera seemed to agree. 

According to Harriette, magic had its limitations... or did until Ephemera Flowers starting blooming. It seems that these flowers boosted magic, it started blooming in the world a few decades ago, but neither produced seed or fruit. Only spreading the flower as itself. Completely unnatural and seemed an effective catalyst for those who used magic, but there was a price to be paid for those who used it, it made them obsess over it and eventually drove them mad.

We also learned more about the Castrum Demonica itself, that it was the pinnacle of summoning magic and once summoned would consume all the mana and Ephemera around it, thus making summoning a second to combat the first impossible. 

This world, it seemed, was split into four countries and Harriette’s country focused on summoning.

This flower had caused a lot of trouble and I had a feeling that this was the Profound Darkness’ doing. Somehow.


	57. 10 - 2  A Legend

Xiera, as an experiment, asked if I could hold the flower and I did. It looked like an ordinary flower to me. A sort of a pale pinkish rose from what I could tell. Xiera then asked me to use my photons on it, like I did my harmonizer in battle. I didn’t know what she was up to but I did as she said and the flower just up and vanished. It was as I figured, and Xiera seemed to have come to the same conclusion. It was surprising though that Harriette said similar at the same time, but I didn’t think she would know about Dark Falz or Falspawn or the negative photons. Xiera asked her what her thoughts were. It seemed that it related to the legend she had been about to tell us earlier.

According to the legend, when the land falls into darkness a savior guided by the spirits would appear from the other world. This savior would be a guide and help them to the path of light again. That saviors that follow her shall guide their people, lost and without direction onto the path, though it was fraught with trials and tribulations it is the most righteous of paths. That this savior was a messiah that would guide all into light, banish the darkness and bring light into the world. 

So apparently I was foretold as a legend... Honestly, I have no idea how to take this. I mean, this is the Akashic Records... it records everything that has happened in the past... how in the realms would it know this would happen?! Or was it simply echoing something that had happened in the past? If so... what? Was this legend, maybe, an echo of the memories of Xion meeting the Photoners for the first time? It didn’t matter, Harriette seemed to believe that I, as a Guardian, fulfilled the legend. Well, I couldn’t just not help. Matoi and I were already legends on the Thorn, and this whole problem was because of the Profound Darkness, thus it was my duty to help them.


	58. 10 - 3  Lending Hand

While traveling with Harriette to reach the capitol, we rendezvous with her brother and I got the largest shock I’ve had since coming to Omega as I found that her brother was none other than Luther. He looked exactly as I remembered him, before he became a Dark Falz, except that he lacked the attire I remember him having and his mannerism, while similar... was not entirely accurate. He was much more kind and caring, especially to Harriette. I would say I would be lying to say I was shocked to hear he was the one who originally created the Castrum Demonica. That, like the Luther I remembered, he also was a researcher. It was definitely odd, working with Luther instead of against him. Still, I had to remind myself and Xiera that while this seemed to be like our Luther he was - in fact - not and thus he wasn’t a threat, but instead an unexpected ally.

I helped Harriette and Luther cross to the capitol, destroying all the Castrum Demonicas that we came across to rid her land of them once and for all. I learned that her father’s prime minister - whatever that is exactly -, Lutz Cero Rey Cuento, had taken the throne and it was because of him and the flower, Ephemera, that there were so many and such troubling things for the kingdom. When we got there, however, we were confronted by another who was said to be a legend. A blade master of some sort called the Maiden of the Sword, she was said to possess the power to slay some sort of beast called the Crimson Fellwyrm... I think. I had never heard of it so I didn’t know what that was, but I figured if it was something of a legend then there was something to it. Her name is Alis Landale. 

The sword she has is called the Laconium Sword. She was apparently related to the man who had taken the throne, his niece, and had come to see me with her own eyes and judge for herself what was right. In the end, she sided with us. We did not fight, however, for it was in trying to trap us that he doomed himself. Alis used the sword to allow us to escape by teleporting us out of the castle as it crumbled around Lutz. With him gone, the Castrum Demonicas were the next issue and I traveled across the land to put an end to those that remained and in no time at all really, the land was wiped clean of them, however, as Harriette was quick to tell me, that was not all of them. That the secret to summoning them had been traded away to other countries and thus there were still plenty of these castle demons around. I figured I had my work cut out for me on this one.

I had fought so many I was not only getting faster at taking them down, but starting to get tired of seeing them everywhere. Was there no place that didn’t have them? It was upon hearing that someone was trying to cross the border and get past the Castrum Demonica there that got our attention and thus I hurried to the border to see what was going on in the country of Weyland...


	59. 10 - 4  Familiar Faces

As if seeing Luther hadn’t been enough of a shock, I came across two more who I never thought I’d see again... Melfonseana and Gettemhult. They, with a group of others, were trying to get into Cuento to escape their own troubles. It seems that many were scrambling to just live, it seems that was the way all over. It was a harsh land to live in and a hard life it seems. The so-called-emperor wasn’t doing anything to help and Gettemhult, like the one I remember, was set on being the one to get rid of the emperor. I wasn’t sure that he’d succeed, but with things the way they were I was not surprised honestly that they had tried to cross the border. He meant well, of course, despite his brutishness. 

From what we learned, the emperor only cared about one thing, fighting strong foes to prove himself. There was no point in this. We had to do something. I couldn’t stand by and leave things at they were, especially if it meant those cursed flowers were the cause. 


	60. 10 - 5  Brothers

It was on our journey to the capital of Weyland that we came across Elmir. The brother of the emperor. He seemed so eager to make introductions and theatrics, but I sensed something devious in this one. He was dangerous, but I couldn’t say how much as he didn’t seem to want to stay to fight himself, instead he merely forced us to battle the creatures that he summoned even as we fought our way across the land, defeating his summons and the Castrum Demonica that we came across. When we reached the capital I cannot say it was a surprise to find that the emperor was full of himself. His brother, however, was nowhere to be seen. I could only wonder then about that... the battle with the emperor was surprising. For those in Weyland used the Ephemera to boost themselves to have greater strength and thus the emperor had a form that was like Dark Falz Elder. The very visage seemed to be the same.

Seeing my surprise to this, he laughed, thinking that it meant he would eventually crush me, but no. I was faster and my pets were stronger from the many battles we have faced, but even as he was nearing his end he did not give up and when Seana and Gettemhult tried to make the final blow instead they were dealt blows in return and one sent me flying as well. It seemed he still had a lot of fight left despite how desperate of a struggle it had to be just to sustain himself and the form he had taken. Unfortunately things did not go well... Seana did not make it and while the other tried to escape death by possessing Gettemhult he missed and instead ended up in Seana. 

It was a hard battle between the two, but in the end, Gettemhult couldn’t strike her down... instead, he asked that I do it. Then, the strangest thing happened. He said he would lend me his strength... but this wasn’t just any strength either... I felt myself shift and suddenly I found that I had become Elder. Yet, I had not lost my sense of self. I was still... me. I wasn’t sure what this meant but I could figure it out later, much later... I used the power I had been given to strike the emperor down one last time. I felt bad that I couldn’t save them... just like I couldn’t help Gettemhult originally when he had become Elder Falz, but... I found that he hadn’t left. Now he was a part of me... somehow. I had returned to myself by the end of the fight and everything was as it should be. Yet now I was somehow playing host to Gettemhult who was, and yet was not, Elder Dark Falz at the same time. It was... odd. 

Xiera insisted I return to the ship for a scan and I did. I was concerned about this as much as she was and what it could mean, but oddly enough my scan didn’t even show any signs of the F-factor. I was almost as clean as I had been since I had stepped from the sleep chamber. It was just, too unreal. Still, he was still there. I could sense his mind even though he said nothing to me. There was something of a comfort in that and, of course, he insisted that we tell no one else of this... though of course Xiao knew. How could he not? Xiera was told to keep an eye on me and I don’t blame Xiao for his trepidation. I never considered that this could be possible. It seems there’s still much I have to learn about photons, how they work and their connection to others.


	61. 11  Fellwyrm

I returned to Omega to talk to Harriette only to find that we had a problem, the Fellwyrm had arisen. Elmir, who had not been in Weyland when I had taken his brother down, reappeared to not only reawaken the Fellwyrm, but also instill inside of it the soul of Lutz. This meant that Alis couldn’t seal the Fellwyrm again so easily. The castle was half destroyed, but I hardly thought that was a concern - considering there was a new capital by now - for this thing was massive. It shot fire from its mouth and could fly to great heights. Its scales were like armor, but Alis pointed out that the “scars” it bore from past battles were weak points that could be exploited. The plan was that, with Luther’s help and mine, we would separate the two, release Lutz’s soul from the Fellwyrm and seal the creature once more. It was not an easy fight by any means.

This creature was a lot tougher than the Castrum Demonica I had faced. Its constant attacks and agility, along with the fire, made for a rather formidable foe that was on par with the Dark Falz I had fought. In the end, however, we emerged victorious and Lutz’s soul was finally free of the curse of the Ephemera. 

I can only wonder next what problems that Elmir will cause.


	62. 11 - 1  Visage From the Past

With the Fellwyrm beaten, we all returned to the new capital of Cuento to rest and recuperate. Unfortunately it would be short lived as Luther turned on Harriette and stole her away from the castle. I cannot say this turnabout surprised me overly much, but it was an unwanted turn of events for us. I told Varuna that I would find Harriette and get her back while he kept things under wraps at the capital. It wouldn’t do for things to get out of hand. As I was about to head out on my way I had a strange vision of Harriette and Luther when they were younger... it made no sense to me but at the same time I knew where I was likely to find them. All I had to do was get there. Xiera was just as confused by this as I was, but we didn’t have time to question it.

Along the way we were met with resistance. Enemies that lay in wait for me and each time that I dispatched them I had another vision. It was strange, seeing Harriette that young, but I began to learn more and more about who she was and her relationship to Luther. It seemed that her warnings about his research might not be wrong after all and I feared that his last stunt at the former castle had cost him more dearly than he had ever imagined that it would. 

As I had come to expect, I found the two deep in a cavern, a hideaway spot that only the two of them had originally known of but that the visions had led me to. Luther was clearly not himself, his eyes were red and I could sense the F-Factor in him. He had succumbed and I felt a twinge for Harriette. She did not deserve this sort of thing and this version of Luther had done nothing to warrant it. He was the Luther I remembered, the insane persona who wanted to know it all and thus wished to obtain the information of the Akashic Record, not realizing he was IN the very thing he was trying to summon. With some guilt, I went into battle to stop him.

In the end, it was only with Harriette’s help that I was able to finish the fight. It was her blade that struck him down even as I finished off his summons. In his final moments, he regained his senses and as for me... I gained the power of his Dark Falz form. The form of Falz Angel, giving me the power to fly. Luther reminded me, however, that he would not be giving me any guidance or advice. I was alright with that. He had a few last words for his sister, however and I allowed him to borrow my body to speak as himself to her. It was strange, shifting to his form really and allowing him this... but, it was as he said, she needed to hear what he had to say. 


	63. 11 - 2  Land of Sand

After some down time on the ship, I returned to Omega to see how things were fairing, only to find that Castrum Demonica had been sprouting up like daisies in another country. There were no signs of summoners for these, however, that were appearing in the land of Epyk. That alone was enough for me to go. So of course I set off with Harriette to try and find out what was going on. It was near the border we found Margareta. The divine ruler of Epyk. She seemed to have a rather high opinion of herself and wasn’t really respected by her people, but that wasn’t the issue. These Castrum Demonica were. They were different from before, their coloring was different but defeating them was more or less the same as before and didn’t present too much of a challenge. 

Yet, it seemed that the reason that there was no summoner to be found was that their summoner was Margereta’s trusted advisor, who turned out to be Elmir in disguise. I was not surprised to find him showing up again; would the shenanigans he caused not cease? Again, however, he left before we could fight and instead we had a different problem... according to Xiao, several individuals had just gone missing without explanation. Three were ARKS operatives, one was a human from Earth Guide. I had a bad feeling about what all this meant. I hoped that we could find the missing soon, but for the moment I had a fortress to go see to as the Margareta, who had been tricked by Elmir into summoning them, had caused problems for her kingdom.

Of course it would fall to me to get rid of the problem, but I would be lying if I said I was prepared for the challenge that I was about to face. 


	64. 11 - 3  A Familiar Face

The first Dark Falz Apprentice that we saw was none other Aika, the current lieutenant of the Intelligence Bureau. What a mess! I was reminded that indeed once Aika had been the host for Apprentice... and so were three others, but I hadn’t been prepared to deal with her! Still, I knew I needed to fight to free her from the influence of the F-Factor. This was all the fault of the Ephemera and Elmir. I met her in battle and while she was good, she was not on my level and thus no match for me. Yet, this was only the first of four battles I was sure to face against those who had been a host for Apprentice. Aika, like me, was a Summoner but her loyal pet was a Rappy. A pet I had not been able to yet find to train. An Emperor Rappy nonetheless and thus it was stronger than a normal but it was still no match for my pets. The moment that she was beat, Aika disappeared. Margareta was certainly one for the dramatics though... 

The real story behind all this? Margareta had done it on purpose because she wanted to have a hero for her people, purposely summoning trouble just for this purpose, because she was jealous that I had been summoned to help Cuento and not her own nation. Ridiculous really. She was childish, dramatic and certainly naïve still in a lot of things, but who am I to really judge a ruler? Of course it is in ARKS code to help so of course I was there to help her, regardless of whether or not she was the cause of all this or not. With that done, we headed from The Eastfort to The Northfort, defeating Castrum Demonica along the way. Here we faced the second of the Apprentices. I did not recognize this one, thus both Xiera and I figured that this was Rina, the Earth Guide who had gone missing. I was not expecting that her Avatar Arm would be a large robotic warrior with a rocket launcher, but this was the case and though it wasn’t always easy to dodge the attacks, eventually we brought them to their knees. Thus rescuing Euclyta along the way, instead of going back however, she opted to stay with us.

Like Aika, Rina disappeared, hopefully back to Earth. Our group headed off from The Northfort to the Southern Fort. Again to do battle with the other Apprentices and thus freeing Epyk from the Apprentices. Euclyta had been waiting for us at Southfort with Aurora. I had to knock some sense into them, literally. With this done, we headed back to the capitol; with peace returning to the land, its people were returning to their homes in this harsh place. Still, no matter how the people might grumble they still seemed determined to carve out their lives here. They all seemed in high spirits despite everything. Margareta seemed to have a strange relationship with her people, but in spite of it all, everyone seemed happy. It was... something that neither Harriette, Xiera nor I seemed to fully understand, but at the same time there was really nothing bad about it so, it didn’t matter overly much.


	65. 11 - 4  Once More

When we returned to the castle we found Margareta’s high priest awaiting us. I felt something was off. Especially with how they interacted with each other and of course it seemed Margareta was right to be suspicious. The so-called high priest was Elmir in disguise. It was a surprise to see that Margareta had such power in her palace that wasn’t displayed elsewhere. Yet somewhat a relief too. Of course I should have suspected that it was too easy to get rid of Elmir and that it was a trap all along. Margareta sent Euclyta and Aurora back to the ship to keep them from being hurt. Margareta said she wouldn’t fight, but that she trusted me to save her. I gave her the reassurance she wanted, that I would save her. I would rid her of the F-Factor that took over and thus before was the form of Apprentice that I remembered before Euclyta. I had to wonder, briefly, as she spoke, was this how Dark Falz Apprentice had come to be? I had never seen how she had come to be. Only Luther and Elder had transformed before me until this moment.

It was interesting watching her bicker with the mirror... no doubt that Margareta was still in there somewhere and was still herself. Seems even being possessed did nothing to damper her ego. After assuring her that I would do as I said, the battle began after she transformed into Omega Appregina. It was not too difficult of a fight as I remembered her weaknesses and exploited them to bring her to her knees. Once beaten, however, it was revealed that something was trying to overtake her, Xiera said that the readings were of Ephemera; we couldn’t get close, but with Harriette’s help we were able to split apart the Dark Falz from Margareta. It was weird honestly, seeing Margareta with her older self.... I had to remind them that they shouldn’t be fighting. They were pretty much one and the same after all.

Thus, like Luther before her and Gettemhult, I took Apprentice into myself. The two seemed unsettled by hearing I had that sort of power, but in the end that is how things went and Apprentice stayed with me while Margareta returned to her body. Even separated from Margareta though, she still acted a little like her. Seems some things just don’t change. Heh.

That was how I gained Apprentice’s form. I was more worried about Margareta when we came to. After all, hadn’t Luther perished after being freed? It seemed, at first, that this might be her fate too, until I got close. Then she woke up suddenly and freaked out. I was at least relieved that she seemed to be alright. Although at that point both Harriette and I had enough of her and smacked her good for playing like that. It wasn’t funny. At least she was alright. I had a thought as Harriette and Margareta spoke though, had I, by being here and taking up the role I had... changed history as it had originally been? After all, even though Gettemhult and Luther had perished, they had done so after fulfilling their roles as Dark Falz, but Margareta... she had perished as the Apprentice before Euclyta had become the new Dark Falz Apprentice. It was odd, had I changed history once more? 

Well, not that it mattered much honestly as things were okay and Harriette didn’t seem to be feeling any ill effects from taking on the Ephemera either. All was well and we could relax.


	66. 11 - 5  Respite

With all that had happened, I needed a bit of down time to myself and thus I returned to the ship, reassuring Harriette that I would be back again. After all, Elmir was still out there somewhere and I knew this was far from over. Harriette and Margareta did not know this, but there was still one more Dark Falz that had yet to make its appearance. Gemini the Duplicate. 

I had my hunches on where this one would appear, I had been to the other three countries now, that only left one more. Yet, not all was peaceful for me as I rested on the ship, it seemed that the three within did not quite get along... and they were making quite the fuss in my head. Luther and Elder didn’t seem to quite agree with each other, well, not much I could do about that except tell them to settle down and Luther agreed that they shouldn’t upset their host. Luther did not seem to much like Apprentice either. Honestly, was one would think with all the “room” they had in the flow of photons I possessed that they could just find their own little sectors and stay away from each other.

Apparently not. Seems I’ve got to babysit them in my spare time. Heavens. 


	67. 12  Ys Artia

When I returned, Harriette asked me to go with her on a trip across her land to see her people, it was while we were at the border of her lands that we met with a young boy who seemed only to want to play. The moment I laid eyes on him, however I knew who he was... he said his name was Florent, but I knew him to be Gemini the Duplicate. The boy seemed, however, to not have any F-Factor. Was this the boy before he was taken over by Dark Falz? It was odd to see, but without any reason to do anything of course I watched as he played about the place with Harriette; he seemed like any normal child and what could I hold against him? He was just a boy doing as children were often to do... and then another unexpected figure appeared. She was the spitting image of Xion. What a shock THAT was! However, she said her name was Clarissa and I made the connection instantly to the weapon that my friend Matoi had. It was... weird. It seemed that Florent was to be the symbol of his country... to not be an ordinary child after a while and I thought this rather strange and cruel, but who was I to say what a country’s traditions were? 

Florent left us behind and I wondered how long it would be before things would take a turn for the worst... unfortunately, not long and thus upon hearing the trouble when Clarissa came to Cuento to speak with me and Harriette, we followed her back. It was not an easy journey. There were Castrum Demonicas all over the land, just as had been with the other lands. Harriette stayed behind with Varuna to defend their borders from a Castrum Demonica while I forged ahead to go to the capital and put a stop to it... otherwise there would be no end to these creations... for just as their name suggested, Gemini could make endless copies of whatever they had devoured. The only way to stop it was to defeat Gemini.

The capital itself was a ghost town, it seemed that everyone was wiped out and Clarissa revealed that it was the result of Florent wanting to play... that it was the game that killed them. It was suspicious that Clarissa knew so much and I wondered what she could be hiding even as I followed her deeper in. We found Florent waiting for us. Seeing that he was now Gemini we turned to Clarissa only to learn that she too, had been a victim and thus the one who stood before us was nothing more than a copy.... We had been tricked but I wondered... had she lied to us about saving him? She didn’t seem to have an answer. Replication magic, that was what this country was good at.

I was not impressed.


	68. 12 - 1  Gemini

As expected, Gemini took its form as Omega Dourumble. The final form I remember dealing with before, only slightly different... it seemed Gemini had three different forms now, this one, the original and its castle form. Before this, when I had first met Gemini, I felt nothing but the determination to stop a Dark Falz but now... now I felt guilty. This was the boy who had played with me and Harriette... who had been so innocent... Who had valiantly went back to his home to face his destiny even though it meant the end of what he wished to do with his life. No one so young deserved this.

As hard as I fought, however, unlike the original Gemini, I wasn’t having much luck overpowering this one on my own. I needed some other way to do this rather than the usual method. I had to get through to them some how... so I decided to ask what fun there was in fighting. He did not seem to understand and only asked if there needed to be a reason, but of course there needed to be! I didn’t fight for simply no reason at all! Then he asked why he had to live his life alone and it was through his dialogue that I began to understand his past... the original’s past. I had known before, from reports, that Gemini’s original had been subjected to experiments, but I did not know the full story of it. I felt some pity, that he had been subjected to such, that he’d had no friends, no one to be with him to treat him as a living being. 

Then Clarissa appeared again, this time dressed as an ARKS scientist, confirming that Gemini’s origins stemmed from his loneliness. She asked if I wanted to save him. Of course I did and I said as much. She said she would be my guide to helping him. I trusted that with her, we could put an end to this. With her help, he was free.

With his freedom from the power of Ephemera and influence of Elmir, did I obtain his help and acquire his Dark Falz form. Florent mentioned something though that caught my attention. He said he’d been used by another who had the same scent as I did. How peculiar... the same scent? That was impossible unless... Persona? Was Persona the one who was causing all of this? It’s hard to know if it truly was Persona or if it was The Profound Darkness. I asked him what he could be after, Flo’s response was that he wanted to create a world without conflict, where everyone could play together. That sounded good to me honestly. I wondered what would happen though once I had obtained his power. His duplicate took the name Fleur. When I changed back, I felt dizzy and everything went dark... 


	69. 12 - 2  Wake Up Call

I woke to Xiera yelling at me. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but we were alone. There was no one else around. It seemed I worried her. I asked her what happened to Flo and it seems he faded away in Clarrisa’s arms, along with everything that he’d created. Upon hearing what Flo and I had discussed, Xiera surmised that it must be Elmir... but who was Elmir really? Could Elmir be the personification of Persona or The Profound Darkness? For now, it seemed that question would remain unanswered. With Flo gone, we rushed back towards where Harriette’s forces were, cutting through foes along the way. Even with the source of the replication gone, there were still a lot of enemies that remained though at least their numbers had begun to dwindle as the fight continued. Even with this, however, we all had the feeling that this was not over. That there was still likely more to this.

Elmir still needed to be caught. We headed back to the ARKS ship to rest. It was during this rest that I went through the memories of the past with Alma. 


	70. 12 - 3 Facing the Timeline

After some rest, I returned to Omega to help finish culling the Dark Falz’s forces, but even so there was a feeling of foreboding in the air and I did not think that we were done when Xiera ventured to ask. I think she was only hoping we were, but we still needed to find Persona and deal with The Profound Darkness. A sudden earthquake got our attention and when I found a higher viewpoint on a building we saw a foreboding cloud in the direction where Harriette and her troops were. That couldn’t be good. My conclusion was that it was after Harriette. I headed off in that direction as quickly as I could. I needed to reach Harriette before something happened.

  
  


Unfortunately I was too late, I saw the results of it as in the distance, on an island, sprang forth a giant flower that reminded me both of Ephemera and of The Profound Darkness. This could not be good... Just as Xiera asked what it was, Elmir appeared... apparently that flower was really a cocoon with the Profound Darkness’ source wrapped up inside. I knew what I had to do.

The way he spoke... the mask he taunted me with, suddenly I was certain. Elmir confirmed it. He was Persona. As I had only suspected he was. He went on about how he was missing something until I came along... his factors. As I thought it over as he spoke it began to make sense... inside me the four Dark Falz I had absorbed, who had lent their powers to me... had not increased my F-factor at all... so where had the F-factors gone? Of course... straight to the only compatible source left... the world itself. It seems my former ally was now an enemy once more.

I didn’t like any of this and the more he spoke, the worse it got... this whole time I thought I’d been protecting a friend... but they’d just been a vessel for Persona. Everything I’d done now allowed Persona to achieve their perfect form... or rather, their Dark Falz form... Until now I’d no idea Persona even had one, but now... it seems they did and I was not looking forward to the battle that I knew was to come. Before I could strike, however, Persona got away and I heard a voice... I couldn’t tell whose but they said there was a problem and yanked me and Xiera from Omega... 


	71. 12 - 4  Not An Option

Back on the bridge of the Thorn, Matoi and Alma seemed to realize something was wrong, I suspect they could see my guilt and how bad I felt, but I needed to know why I had been yanked back so I asked and Xiao began to explain that the black hole had expanded suddenly from within, rather than from having swallowed something. Yeah... I knew the reason why too and it soured in my stomach. It was strange, looking at it from a distance, there was some sort of pulsation but sound doesn’t travel through space like light does... The pulsations sounded like a heartbeat... 

Alma asked about Omega and thus I had to explain what I’d learned. That Omega was the Profound Darkness itself. What Xiao said was... disheartening at best. That the Persona we had known had been lost... that now Elmir was Persona, but at least he and I were on the same page in that we had to stop this. No one seemed in high spirits, it was at that moment I remembered something Persona had said to me once... asking if I was giving up already. An old memory... but, it was enough. I didn’t give up. It wasn’t in me. No matter the odds. Thus I told everyone that we weren’t out of options yet. There was still something we could do.

Xiao said he needed us to return to Omega while they handled things on this side. I agreed. We needed to go back and stop this. I would find a way, somehow.


	72. 12 - 5  Time Flow

While gathering some resources before heading off again to Omega, I learned that time there flows differently. At least according to Alma. Time flow in the Akashic Records was up in the air, apparently, since so many worlds were being jumbled up. I guess that makes some weird sort of sense... I don’t really understand it completely though. 


	73. 13  Back to Cuento

When we returned to Cuento, we found people were packing up... and Margareta was leading the way, not something I expected honestly, but she isn’t without her merits I guess and Alis was there as well. We hurried to the castle to talk to them both. I learned that the cocoon’s area was flooded with creatures and Castrum Demonica, a pure nightmare. Just my luck. I’d have to wade through all that ... somehow. That Alis’ blade was lending her its strength to help keep the hordes away from the people spoke of how dire things were since supposedly it was only supposed to be active when the Crimson Fellwyrm was active. They knew something bad was happening, just not what. I didn’t really think I could explain it in a way they’d understand. It didn’t help that Margareta started asking questions either...

The two at least seemed to deduce on their own what had happened to Harriette. Margareta seemed to have a lot of faith in me, considering she boldly claimed that if they couldn’t handle a problem that I could... ho boy. This is the trouble with being a legend I suppose. They believed in what I am capable of and honestly, they aren’t wrong that I have managed some incredible feats... even with the odds stacked against me. While this might be a tough battle to come, I had beaten the Profound Darkness before. I could do it again. The three of us made a vow to save the world of Omega. 


	74. 13 - 1  A Bit Unexpected

I knew what I had to do. What needed to be done, so of course I raced off towards the Black Cocoon. I was going to do the impossible, again. Somehow I was going to keep my promise to Persona... I was going to make sure I didn’t give up and I was going to save Harriette. With Alis at my side, we had only one choice... to cut through the enemy’s army to reach the source... so, we plunged ahead into the fray... Alis’ blade kept the hordes off of me as I ran through the few left. It seemed that the replication rate slowed, what caused it I do not know, but it was a win for us. A small victory, but one nonetheless and it was enough that I could forge ahead to the cocoon that lay awaiting me.

It was a surprise though that when I left Alis behind another showed up... none other than Margareta with the same power she had shown in the palace. It was a shock to me... then she explained how she was there. She’d been given temporary control of powers of her deity in order to save the world so that the god would have worshipers. It made perfect sense, no world, no worshipers. Xiera thought it was opportunistic, but I thought it was just a very handy way of getting help. She wasn’t alone either, the soldiers of Cuento had shown and all were there to help, to cheer me on... it was a huge confidence boost. I could do this.

I pushed forward, cutting down every foe in my path.


	75. 13 - 2  A Small Miracle

Even as Margareta and I cut through the forces, it seemed there was no end and they seemed to get stronger and stronger... Suddenly we were overtaken and when we thought we were done for, something happened... A miracle of sorts. Former members of the Council of Six had shown up, Wolf and Atossa. I wondered how they got here myself, they were former members, retired from the council... I think, I don’t really know much about them just of them. The one who appeared before us to answer Xiera’s question looked like Alma, but she said she was not... which meant only one thing. This was Klariskrays, the first. 

The trio began cutting down the enemy. Klariskrays called to me, asked me if I didn’t have somewhere I needed to be while they dealt with things. I nodded and dodged through the enemy’s ranks as fast as I could, ducking, weaving and even sliding between the legs of a minotaur like enemy after avoiding the blade it held, all to dash forward towards my goal... the cocoon. 


	76. 13 - 3 The Mirror Battle

As I neared the cocoon suddenly Dark Falz Elder appeared, and he wasn’t alone, the other three appeared as well; all in their Omega forms. It was then that they appeared from me... Gettemhult, Luther, Margareta, Flo and Fleur... They seemed to want to battle these four. It was hilarious, or well, it was long after the fact anyway, but I felt that I could leave this to them and so asked if they would handle their... counterparts, for lack of a better word. With them blocking the attacks of the four Dark Falz in their own way, I rushed to the cocoon. I was nearly there now.

I was going to keep my word. I would save Harriette and put an end to Elmir’s plans. 


	77. 13 - 4  Revelations

I caught up with Elmir deep in the cocoon, it looked like some wicked garden with flowers everywhere and vines that pulsed with some purple energy... whether it was mana or photons didn’t really matter. I asked where Harriette was only to be told she was the cocoon... she was the vessel of the Profound Darkness, always had been and always would be. Wait... that was familiar wasn’t it? I had saved Matoi from that very fate. It seems history was indeed about to repeat itself. This explained why I was drawn to Harriette. She was so much like Matoi! Nevertheless. I wasn’t going to back down.

Even when he said I got to be where I am by just killing and that it was the only option I had. 

But I knew better.

I remembered. 

Heh... was this all he had to say to me? I said as much because, honestly, I wasn’t impressed. I knew there was another way. Another path. I had taken it once before after all and I could do it again. I knew and therefore there was no doubt to me how this would play out in the end. 

Foolishly he asked if Persona and I wanted destruction that would turn everything back into nothing... He didn’t understand that Persona and I were one and the same. So it was with confidence I told him that he was NOT Persona. The battle went in my favor, but not easily. I went to reclaim Harriette only to stab Elmir who got in the way and only crack the cocoon... Doing so seemed to release his true form and now he was complete as the Profound Darkness. Now I fully understood. He had never been Persona, but had been using their power. With my power, I could purge Harriette from the Profound Darkness and separate the two and thus did I, just as I had saved others. It was not, however, as simple as it had been before and my first attempt was blocked... It was the Dark Falz within me that gave him the beatdown he wanted in order to lower his defense enough that I could accomplish it, with Persona at my side. Within me.

After all... I AM Persona. They are me. So it was that I was able to save Harriette, just as I said I would. It was interesting to see Margareta’s reaction to Harriette when we came back and Alis was there too... of course Klariskrays showed up and had to spoil the party. Talking about soul vestiges and yet I expected that Harriette would be around for longer. I wasn’t wrong. Alma had told me, after all, what Klariskrays had done for her.. This was no exception. It was Klariskrays that Margareta had called her god... now it seemed that Harriette would take that role. Margareta was hardly upset with this and seemed all for the idea really. 

All’s well that ends well... sorta. I guess this was the best to be hoped for. Harriette had to go and with the world saved... it was also time for me to depart. Thus I waved farewell to my friends, the last words I heard were from Harriette, who only wished that we should meet again. I cannot be sure of the when or where, but I am sure that I will meet her again some day.


	78. 13 - 5   Good News

We returned to the bridge of the Thorn to find that Xiao and Matoi were there to welcome us back. The black hole that had been threatening everything seemed to have disappeared and Xiao had good news that the one that had threatened the Earth also had vanished just before we had returned. This was a relief to me honestly, but then I wondered, now that the Akashic Records were safe... what exactly did they look like? Could they even be seen? I put the question out of my mind for a while.

It seems that, for now, the Profound Darkness is gone... and so is Persona, but they lent me their strength. I’m certain that, should they ever appear again... it will be as an ally. Like before. Xiera was given time off, with Xiao taking the bridge and Matoi and I were to relax. So we did. At least until we got off the bridge and ran across a familiar face... 


	79. 14  A New Foe Born

We were greeted by Varuna who thanked me for what I did on Omega, but like Xiera I wondered why he was here and his manner... it was... strange. This was not the Varuna I remembered from Omega and he said he was similar to Xiera... so, this then was not the original Varuna... Xiera had been made, instead of born, to run the ship... So then, this Varuna had been made to serve his master; so he said anyway. He was dressed in white and red. I wasn’t sure I approved of the color scheme, it reminded me a touch too much of Dark Falz, but I followed him anyway to the Shopping Center and there we saw her. 

Just like the day we parted, was Harriette, but she was different, dressed in the same colors that Varuna was. I had a feeling that there was a reason she was here and it was not a social call. Alma said time in Omega moved differently than it did for us. So then... why and how was she here? Her answer? What we saved was but a dream and that in reality there had been no one to save them... This wasn’t Harriette and I could almost feel the malice now. She might look like the friend I had left behind, but she was not her. Xiera bought herself a little time... enough to disengage the inhibitors and Maria and Regius both appeared to aide us... but no matter what we did... nothing worked! Even with all the power I had I was sent flying like a toy! None of us could match this being... but then something caused her to turn, a shot. The other mentioned something about a vessel and I saw it was Risa, who was complaining about the shot that had been taken by her weapon. 

A Cosmogenic Arms... Wait... she said that the soul had taken a vessel... that ... was THAT... Was that weapon... Harriette?! There were no easy answers as we turned to the new being who decided introductions were in order... her name, Shiva. A goddess of Annihilation. She had appeared because of us closing the black hole... 

Now what were we supposed to do? Who was this Shiva? What did she mean that she was sacrificed for the universe? 


	80. 14 - 1  Fighting On

Before the fleet a massive crack just appeared and the very fabric of space seemed to shatter and an unknown figure appeared in the space that had shattered. What was this?! Where had it come from? So many questions now and so few answers. It seems that our fight continues. Whoever this Shiva is won’t stop us. We’ll send her back where she came from.

I do wonder some things though, if what we saw on Omega was merely a dream and not the truth then... what was that legend talking about? What had actually happened back then? Had there really been one planet where the Dark Falzs had originated from? Or was it several planets? 

Alma had said that it was a jumble of records... and that time was different in Omega from time as we knew it. I wondered though about the events of Omega... if what we saw there was how each of the Dark Falz had come to be, then it was completely out of order... From what I gathered, Persona was the youngest of the Dark Falz... followed by Luther and Elder’s latest form but as for Apprentice and Gemini... Those two I was not certain. The reason being that Apprentice had been a young adult when we fought and as she is now in me... but Margareta was barely more than fourteen at best. It’s hard to tell ages sometimes honestly. With that in mind, it is hard to know when Apprentice took over her before having to take over Euclyta during my first year at ARKS... and if what I learned about Gemini is correct then that was a boy who was with the Photoners just before they died out and were in communication with Xion... 

Making those two the oldest, for certain, in terms of their hosts - not existence of course - but it makes me wonder. Not because it matters how old they are but perhaps in learning the truth of this I might discover how history actually played out back then. I remember that the F-Factor was a direct result of something the Photoners did... so then... was Gemini the first of the Dark Falz to be born or was it another? 

Perhaps I am way off, but a part of me thinks that knowing this history, clarifying what had happened, will help us deal with Shiva. I have the bad feeling that Shiva may, in fact, have been in Matoi’s place at one time and - just like with the timeline Persona came from - she had lost her life to protect the universe from the Profound Darkness. Yet, if this was so, then who is Shiva really? 

My musings only cause more questions, it seems, than answers and there is no certainty yet that any of my thoughts are true. 


	81. 14 - 2  A Question of Persona

The large anomaly in space that had fractured turned out to be Persona. It was astounding really, their size and power... able to change what they were weak to by changing masks. It made the fight tricky but I still prevailed. Xiera contacted me as soon as the battle was over, wondering why it had only appeared now. I wondered the same. Would the Dark Falz within me know? I closed my eyes and met them in the plane that my photons created every time I needed to speak with them. However, they did not know. Margareta said that Persona was fundamentally different from them and of course Gettemhult reminded me that they were an alternate version of me. So then... were the answers inside myself? Inside my own mind? Luther had to point out that while they had lent me their power on Omega they were not currently here, but, being an alternate version of me... was it possible the reason they were not here was because they WERE me? Or was it something else? 

Margareta proposed that this version of Persona that I had fought was drawn to the remnant of Persona inside me, the Persona who had helped me several times before. I considered this possibility as well. Luther said that the one I fought had no soul and was only a husk, but a Dark Falz nonetheless. Of course, as he said, I could not simply stand by and watch them destroy the universe. Still, this encounter left more questions than it answered. Considering that Luther was right, that the Persona I had just fought was nothing more than a shell... then... where was the soul it once had? Why wasn’t it with the others? Or was it already? Was it that, because they were me that I only retained a remnant of the power of Dark Falz they had possessed, but only that because we were one and the same, and I had not become a Dark Falz. I had rejected the path that led to me being one. Yet, they had still existed. I didn’t understand that either. How could they still exist if I changed the timeline? Shouldn’t they have disappeared or was this a lot more complicated than I thought? 


	82. 14 - 3 Holiday

With the holidays upon us, Franca’s cafe and the ship’s Shopping Plaza are festively decorated. Times like these remind me of why I do what I do. As a child, I had wanted to protect moments like this. Where others gather to celebrate life and all of its wonderfulness.


	83. 14 - 4  Meeting of the Top

Due to the urgent matter of what happened with Shiva, Matoi and I were brought into a meeting with the heads of the various branches and their lieutenants. Normally we avoided such meetings since we aren’t really ‘office’ material she and I, but this was different. Matoi and I were directly involved and I had a feeling they all wanted either first hand accounts of what went on in the Shopping Plaza or at least impressions or something. We needed to know what we were dealing with too. Even Xiao and Xiera were attending this meeting along with Admiral Ulku and her ... I’m not sure what exactly his title is... Adjunct? Theodore. I hadn’t seen Theodore in a long time, not since we were both operatives in the field together. Things have certainly changed. 

I wasn’t sure if I was surprised or not to hear that our attackers were Photoners... but weren’t they supposed to have gone extinct? And if they were Photoners, why were they against ARKS? Weren’t we supposed to be their ‘mop up crew’ for past mistakes? It seemed, to sum it up, that Shiva was imbued with photons long ago as bait to seal the Profound Darkness in subspace and now she’s returned. Considering that, it is no wonder she seems to be against us. She assumes that we - ARKS - are all photoners likely, even though we are not. I am not a photoner myself and Luther was the very last of them and he is gone now. Provided you don’t count Aurora among the living since she is Euclyta’s weapon but was once a photoner. Does that count? I’m not sure.

Perhaps the most unusual guest to appear was Risa. She seemed to know something and said that Shiva was made to absorb photons... so that made sense as to why our attacks did nothing. She was literally absorbing them, meaning we were powerless against her in terms of our use of photons and would need a different sort of power to combat her, but the question is... what? What could stand up to photons without being photons? Xiao asked Risa what she knew after she said I was also weird - not that something like that from her is too surprising.

We found ourselves listening to Hariette, one who I had not thought I would speak to ever again outside of the time in Omega, but to hear her tale of how she had once been meant to be a vessel but ended up being an individual thanks to the care and devotion of her creator... that her body had become the sacrifice to seal away the Profound Darkness and vanished into subspace with it... with the Profound Darkness no longer sealed in subspace, it only made since that Shiva returned. Now Shiva’s words made sense... about her being a sacrifice for the universe, but it was nothing but a vessel’s words, a vessel that had no heart or soul and was only filled with photons and wished to have it all... This was a problem indeed. 

It also turns out that Harriette was the first Cosmogenic Arms to be created, and was made by the Akashic Records and Risa, being the product of research on mechanical bodies and photons, was the very first CAST to ever be. That was a bit of a surprise, I’d no idea she was that old! And of course the whole story of her instability... well, that wasn’t much of a surprise, though I can’t be entirely sure she and Harriette totally balance each other out exactly... at least not completely. This is just weird honestly, talking to Harriette through Risa. 

It seems that my actions to save her, in Omega, allowed her to be able to fully awaken now and speak. I recalled before when we had first spoken... it was strange, it had occurred when Matoi was missing and I was in the Nightfall Providence. Strange, to be sure, but I didn’t really take too much notice of it beyond that it might have been a part of Risa I hadn’t seen before... I hadn’t any idea it was a completely different personality. 


	84. 14 - 5  Strategy

From what I heard, the strategy was to hit the enemy hard with physical weapons rather that photon based ones. Made sense, but would that be enough? I am not exactly a weapons expert so who was I to say one way or the other? It still concerns me to know that the weaponry I’ve gotten used to is so ineffective. Seems I will have to figure out another way to fight and I will figure it out. Even if it means ending up in a new class while I’m at it.

With that addressed though, the next question was what the enemy was up to now; even though it was obvious what the end goal was for them. Matoi raised an interesting question though, she wanted to know what Shive meant when she said the Guardian was the vessel of the universe. I have to admit that I wished to know this too. Did this have something to do with Matoi? Unfortunately Hariette did not have an answer for her. Whatever the reasons, Hariette confirmed that I was Shiva’s target. Though it didn’t make any sense to me as to why. What  _ had _ she meant and why me? It felt odd that now I was being asked to stay with Matoi for my own sake rather than what had been previous... 

I had kept an eye on her once. It now seemed she was going to be keeping an eye on me... talk about coming full circle! With the meeting complete, we all dispersed, but before I could leave Sarah ran up to me to ask if I’d speak with the researchers who were working on the AIS. I agreed I would, even though I’m usually a busy individual - and she knew this of course.


	85. 15  Regius

I was surprised when, while at the meeting room I was approached by Regius who bluntly stated that he’d heard I could see Alma. How did he know? Also he apparently heard of what I did for her... I wonder how he knew these things, just who had told him and why had they? Still, he apparently wanted to thank me for it ?? Honestly, I don’t know that it needed it. I was just doing what I thought best at the time and following what I thought an ARKS operative should do. Something that I’ve always believed in since the first day I entered the academy and began my training. 

I felt bad that Regius couldn’t see Alma when clearly the two were close when she had been alive, yet... he could sense her? Still, it wasn’t the same as seeing... and Risa had said similar about Alma, having hilariously been trailing her around the ship until she’d reached me and Matoi and had practically hidden behind me. I have to admit that, now that I think back on it, it was kind of like a couple of children and I was the parent Alma was hiding behind to avoid the other child. Heh... 

I admit that, at first, I wasn’t sure how to respond to him. Thinking on it, I shook my head and said that he had been the one to protect her, not me. After all, he and Maria had both shown up to help with the final battle in Omega. I don’t think it would have been possible without them. He agreed and offered to be of help, should I need it, since he sensed that Alma was relying on me. How she is relying on me I have no idea, but I will not turn away such an offer either. 


	86. 15 - 1  One and the Same

I was strolling through the gate area when I saw Xiera talking with Risa. Apparently she wanted to know if we should call Risa something different, now that we knew she had Hariette inside of her sharing a single body. Risa didn’t seem to understand why she’d want that and that we shouldn’t change anything. Xiera brought up a good follow up question though, how much did she know about what happened on Omega? She wasn’t there... and considering what happened there was mostly due to meddling on our part to separate the Profound Darkness from the Akashic Records... this Hariette had to be different, since she was the real one, right? So then... how were they different exactly? I had to ask. She said, however, to think of them as the exact same person and said I was a great help to her there. Well, seems she knows pretty much everything then I guess.

She said that, basically, she was that Hariette, the goddess from there. I’m not sure what sort of sense this all makes... did changing events in the Akashic Records, changing what was essentially a story of the universe’s history... bring forth a new being? Considering what she’d said in the meeting about how old she was and her story of being born... this doesn’t make any sense. How are they one and the same? I don’t know that I can wrap my head around this one except that maybe she’s been watching me, in a way, sort of like how Alma watches over her friends. Something that I was unable to actually see until now. Honestly, until Risa had shown up in that meeting with Hariette, I had mostly forgotten about our meeting on Harukotan in the Nightfall Providence until it was brought up. 


	87. 15 - 2  Two Others

I was going about some tasks in the Ruins on Naverius when I was suddenly alerted by Xiera to watch out. Someone suddenly attacked me, my reflexes allowed me to fend off the blows of this stranger. I did not know who they were, and their movements were quick and they were light on their feet. The man said that he concluded I was the Guardian just by this alone and told me that my abilities would cause me and others to despair... that if I became a harbinger of anguish he would not hesitate to cut me down. What exactly was he talking about? What did he know? He vanished without even introducing himself! Strange... Even stranger was that Xiera couldn’t trace him. Neither of us had sensed him until right before he’d attacked... somehow he’d concealed himself. I had never seen a fighting style like that and Xiera confirmed it wasn’t a registered class. She voiced the same question I had been wondering... who was he?

  
  


The next incident that happened was while I was at the Dragon Alter. I saw someone by themselves using a broom and dealt with a falspawn with it like they’d been using a sword! It was interesting, seeing this. This was Lukot, apparently she was going to be the advocate of a new class, Etoile. I was curious about this class, naturally. I thought I knew all the classes and a new one sounded interesting. She told me about it, how it was a class that specialized in melee. Boosting teammates and in turn got stronger themselves. It seemed like an intriguing idea. After all, I tended to do that as a Summoner even though the Summoner class focused on utilizing pets I could also utilize spells to help support my teammates as much as my pets. Lukot was also Maria’s apprentice? ... or something like it anyway. She also seemed to think she caused me trouble since I’d helped her deal with the falspawn that appeared in several numbers, with her boosting me it was a piece of cake. I thought she held up her own though as I would expect any ARKS operative to do, and said as much, of course.

And before I knew it I suddenly had a maid... oh dear. 


	88. 15 - 3  Friend or Rival ?

I was in the gateway area when Xiera contacted me, it seemed she finally had some information on the mysterious ARKS operative who had just attacked me out of the blue. Before she could say anything further, however, we were interrupted... by Stratos. Who wanted to tell me about a new class that had been recognized called Phantom. I knew nothing about this class... was this perhaps the class that the one who had attacked me had used? If so, it certainly lived up to its name! Apparently the advocate for it was a friend of Stratos, which explained why she was so excited... and just like that he popped up. It was the same guy! I certainly wasn’t prepared for that! 

He introduced himself as Black Wolf Kyokuya.... Honestly, I almost laughed. He was dressed in black, for one thing and while the class he was advocating might have allowed him to attack like a wolf I’m pretty sure that while this name was meant to be some badass thing he just came off as cocky to me. Not exactly someone I’d have chosen to be an advocate. He seemed sure of himself... a little too much maybe. He was also a Newman... and this guy was friends with Stratos? If that’s true, then I have to wonder who was lonely enough to latch onto the other... Stratos seemed too friendly to want for friends, she was on the opposite end of the spectrum. They do say opposites attract... but geez was this ever an example of it! 

He also seemed to take offense that I didn’t call him “Black Wolf” ... what the heck? I am so NOT going to call him that. I don’t care what he says. Honestly, it’s ridiculous. It’s not a title, it’s just some name that someone else decided to give him... or maybe he gave himself? I don’t know, honestly don’t care. I about laughed though when Stratos called him “Kyokie”... that was typical of someone like her. He, on the other hand, didn’t seem thrilled at the name. Listening to the two go back and forth over just a name... yup. He was  _ really _ full of himself and really big on the whole name thing.

So... what I heard about the Phantom class from this guy is that basically they used photons to basically dodge and cripple a foe with various ailments, like poison, for example. This guy seriously compared the style of a Phantom to a mythological creature, a wraith. Did this guy even know what a wraith was? I mean... wraiths don’t last long enough to do harm usually... even if they might mean to, they’re only there for a short while. What the heck? Did this guy just insult his own class??? Or was he just that naïve? And then of course he asked if I believed as Stratos did, that justice trumped all. I considered the question, but honestly... while I think there is a time and a place for both... What is right and wrong in the history of things usually is up to the victor... So I just said I could go either way.

I seriously wanted to smack him for assuming I didn’t have a mind of my own and would just think exactly like Stratos just because we knew one another! The nerve of this guy... Why was he being so rude? Then Stratos went on to explain, apparently she was friends with him and someone else? Something had happened too, she mentioned that but she didn’t say who the other friend was or what had happened exactly... Apparently Kyokuya had tried cheering her up and failed, since then he’d been cold and mean and she thinks he hates her... but she seems to be certain he’s a good guy, despite the ‘tough’ act he puts up. Reminds me of someone else I happen to know... 

And then after saying all that Stratos ran off, not sure why. Xiera came back on the com after that. I had to agree that I did have a good idea what had happened from all that I’d just witnessed. Xiera thinks he wanted to see what I was capable of and that was why he’d attacked and figures that I can help since I’m an inspiration for developing new classes. I’m not sure if that was solely his reason, but I wasn’t going to argue. There’s no point, what’s done is done.


	89. 15 - 4  Birds of a Feather

I was coming back from a mission when I was met with both Azanami and Lukot. Lukot of course just welcomed me while Azanami was trying to get me to do more. I can’t recall if I’ve mentioned her or not. She’s Regius’ apprentice and the advocate for the Braver class. There was a time when that class was new, now it seems like it’s always been there... same with the Bouncers too. I still remember, though, coming across Katori and Saga advocating for them. 

Seems Azanami saw herself in Lukot and said as much, as well as saying she and I could be the one who could support her in times of uncertainty. It’s been a while since I first met Lukot. I’ve gotten used to her calling me master. It was weird at first honestly and I wasn’t certain about it, but it was what she’d decided... just like Io calls me boss... Just one more thing you get used to I supposed. Heh. 


	90. 15 - 5  A Muddled Past

I met both Kyokuya and Stratos in the gate area. Apparently neither of them knew who the advocate of Etoile was... and when I asked them if they meant Lukot... Stratos seemed to react very strongly to the name... ho boy. I had a feeling I knew where this was heading even before Stratos could say anything else. Although I admit I wasn’t prepared for Kyokuya to just straight up say she was dead... but... Lukot was a CAST. Was it just a coincidence or could it be that this CAST was really their lost friend? Stratos wanted to meet her while Kyokuya thought it was just some joke. 

Whatever happened in the past... it must have been bad. Why else would Kyokuya think Lukot was dead? Some time after I spoke with them I caught Lukot behind one of the elevators looking at Stratos and Kyokuya who were too far away to notice her, let alone hear her yelp when I accidently startled her. She needed to resolve this, whatever it was, as clearly she wanted to be with her friends. According to her, Lukot had been the first of the three of them to join ARKS. This incident between them was... strange. I didn’t hear details but apparently she’d asked her friends to join her at a mansion only to disappear on them and be unable to contact either for years. She seemed to know she was too timid to make amends on her own, that she needed help... even after I told that Stratos wanted to see her. That’s when she asked me for a favor. I agreed. 

So I invited Stratos and Kyokuya to come with me to the cafe. Kyokuya didn’t seem very pleased about the place and the reunion was... not quite ideal honestly. Stratos seemed happy enough to have her friend, and understanding too, but Kyokuya... well, whatever really happened that day in the past seemed to have seriously changed him. Stratos has hope that he’ll come around one day but I’m not so sure. Yes, they were friends, but sometimes apologizing isn’t enough to heal the wounds. Sometimes you just can’t say ‘sorry’ and everything is okay again. I thought he was being harsher than he needed to be, but if I was in his place I would want to know why she hadn’t contacted them in all the years. Why only now she had chosen to appear. He was angry and bitter from the wounds left and I do not blame him, but even so... I think it could have been handled a lot better. For their sakes, I hope that Stratos is right.

In all truth, after speaking to him on his own after the incident... I think he really needs some help with this whole friendship thing. 


	91. 16  Truth

In the end, the truth was revealed... after some lying on Kyokuya’s part to get us all out in the desert just so he could learn the truth. He was harsh, but that was just his way I guess. A literal fight to force her to talk... according to him she had betrayed them. Something about locking them inside and setting it on fire?! Yet, she did not seem to know about this at all. It seemed that, instead, she was kidnapped and forced to fight falspawn to the point of almost becoming one herself. Taken by those who ran the Void facility on Wopal... which was now nothing but ruins. I can’t say I was prepared to have heard she’d gone through the same crap that Quna had... all for an experiment on F-factor proliferation. To spread the enemy... All because she’d done investigation on her own, she had caused an incident that had changed things... not just for herself, but her friends too.


	92. 16 - 1  R & R and the AIS

Alma didn’t look so good when I last saw her, she isn’t sure why but she needs some rest. She thinks it might have to do with the wall she put up during the fight coming back to bite her and, well, I think that’s pretty understandable considering what that wall meant for the battle. That was some next level kind of power.

My trip to talk with AIS researcher definitely didn’t go as I expected, for one thing... she didn’t notice we were there even when Matoi attempted to get her attention and then she turned around as we approached and smacked right into me. Talk about a strange introduction! Oh well, I guess that’s one way to say hello.

Apparently we were being recruited to pilot AISes from what the researcher said... Ludmila was her name. So, well, we agreed to give it a shot since it was a request from Sarah after all. 


	93. 16 - 2  Emergency

I and Matoi headed to the bridge after spending time trying out the new machines. We were talking to Xiao and Xiera when Xiao just stopped talking mid sentence. Wondering in the next moment if we were just out classed and then, without warning, he vanished! Where did he go? Seconds later the alert for an emergency rang through, there were intruders in the Mothership! No wonder Xiao had vanished so fast! I knew that’s where I’d be going next. 


	94. 16 - 3   Failure

It seemed that we were unable to stop Shiva’s attack on the Mothership and thus we lost it too... It was like Xion all over again... the only thing that kept us going on was Sarah... who told us that Xiao’s last words to her were to head to Amduskia.


	95. 16 - 4  A Change

I wanted to avenge Xiao... it was only right after all and I had grown attached to him, just as I had to Xion, his predecessor. As I am to all my friends. So until the day we would meet the enemy in combat again, I spent time honing my skills. Not just as a Summoner. I choose to try a more direct class... Fighter. I was a bit clumsy, at first, but through sheer will to get better I continued to pour out my anger and frustration against my foes through my blades. I would make Shiva pay for what she did to Xiao.


	96. 16 - 5  Past Revealed

Upon arriving on Amduskia, I learned that the planet itself was nothing more but another product of the ambitious photoners. Would their recklessness not cease to cause issue? How much more of the places I know of were a result of tampering of a people... a race that sought fit to act as gods? First Wopal... now Amduskia. What next? Naverius? The universe itself? This was getting out of hand... 

Still, I cannot complain too much. Our mission was a success and Xiao was revived thanks to everyone’s efforts. I imagine Sarah will be happy how things turned out, once she’s gotten up from her nap that is.


	97. 17   Sometime After

I won’t say things were peaceful with Xiao back and Ulku wasn’t pleased with the events and slapped Xiao, never thought I’d see anyone do that. Still, she had a point that we had all been worried and he had apologized for it all; yet, from all that we did worry he got the most useful thing out of it. Now we can track the enemy and begin our counterstrike! I admit that maybe things could have been handled better by Xiao... or maybe not. I can’t say I know what goes on in his head sometimes. At any rate I have a feeling that all this was necessary... sort of like my trials with Matoi were early on. I wouldn’t be who I am without her and the obstacles and enemies we faced along the way. Well, what’s done is done anyway. While the past can be altered, one should never change it too much.

Between missions, Xiao asked to speak with me, giving me a formal apology without the others around. Even though I had felt anger and sorrow, having him back was a relief so of course I forgave him. From what little I understand, he merged with a vessel on Amduskia and what we interacted was more of a mere image... although it was still solid, somehow. He was very much troubled by the loss of contact with the Mothership, not to mention being disconnected from it. I can’t say I completely understood what it was like for him but I did understand being unnerved by it being occupied by the enemy.

The AIS have been modified well for space combat, I even ended up in an interview with Ludmila about how they handled. It is always hard to get used to not having an up or down in space but the machines otherwise work very smoothly for combat and the recoil is barely even noticeable in the heat of battle. 

Perhaps the most interesting thing that happened this week was the conversation about being tiny between Klariskrays and Ko’Rela. 


	98. 17 - 1   The Power

It seemed that Shiva’s power was more troublesome then we thought. The strike team that went out in the new AIS models couldn’t handle her and were wiped out... three more lives lost to that ... thing. The name ‘photoner’ is starting to become a curse in my mind every time I hear it. Xiao reran the calculations on Shiva’s power and, according to Xiera... that one being was as powerful as all of ARKS combined. This meant she had a limitation, but at the same time... it is one far beyond my reach of hoping to face even with everything I’ve managed to do. For the first time since seeing her, I have begun to have doubts. I am supposed to be the hope of the entire fleet and I don’t think I can do this miracle that is needed. I’m not strong enough... not even with all of the power I’ve obtained and the help of the four former Dark Falz. None of them alone could stand against that kind of power and I know how powerful that is... I have used that power in missions to sweep what used to be bosses that would give me some trouble off their feet with a handful of blows in the form of one Dark Falz or another. As grateful as I am that they are on my side... I don’t think that it will be enough.

It was no wonder that she was sealed away once before... I think that sealing Shiva again is the only option. Somehow we need to do it. The one who would know how to do that would be Sukunahime, the Ashmaiden of Harukotan. So, that is where we headed. 


	99. 17 - 2 Harukotan

By the time we got to the planet, it was already overrun with the enemy. It seems that they had already attacked it ahead of us. Shiva was waiting for us. I wanted to know where our friend was. She did nothing but insult us, however, not answering what I had said and killed a Daybreaker too. As more enemies appeared Xiera told us to run for it, but it was no use and we were surrounded by the mechanical minions. I was prepared to fight my way out, as no doubt was Matoi who was with me. We didn’t have to, however, thanks to Sukunahime. Matoi and I were both relieved to see that she was alright and she had come to our aide, whisking us away from certain doom. I had no doubt that it would have been that without her.

We were taken to a place we had never seen before. Sukunahime said it was the Spirit Realm, a place she held dear and was a shelter for some of the Daybreakers... and that while she had gotten some out, they still suffered heavy casualties and she did not think that our arriving before the enemy would have put a stop to that. Considering we would be contending with Shiva herself... I’m inclined to agree for neither Matoi nor I, not even together, are a match for Shiva. We had to explain who Shiva was and what we planned to do. Sukunahime agreed that it might work, just as it had worked on Matoi when she had nearly become a vessel for the Profound Darkness. She spoke with us at length of a plan. It would be our hope that it would work and give us a fighting chance...


	100. 17 - 3  The Plan

Sukunahime sent us off to where the stone was that kept Magatsu sealed away. The plan was a simple one. Draw out Shiva to the area for a confrontation and then destroy the stone. Sukunahime said she would do the rest. So that is what we did. I admit I had some reservations about the plan, but it was the best we could think of. I was hoping that it would work. Just as Sukunahime said the enemy appeared and we were forced to fight them off. As hoped. Shiva appeared and the seal was broken. She struck a huge blow to Sukunahime but that was her plan the whole time and the stone had been destroyed. She merged with Magatsu, controlling the usually unruly, evil god and blasting at Shiva, but even that wasn’t enough and Magatsu was felled. Even so, the seal had been placed and Matoi and I were able to fight with Shiva on even footing... at least, that’s what we thought when we went into battle. We were victorious, despite how hard she fought... and then, at the end, when we had dealt a final blow... Sukunahime was struck down... by Shiva. The one we had fought was not Shiva, but her minion in disguise... We had been tricked. Somehow Shiva had predicted our counterstrike and had planned for it. Even though she lost her servant... we lost a friend in return. 

I do not know what we will do now. The seal was the only hope we had and the plan had ultimately failed... I only hope now that Xiao can help us find another way. Without Sukunahime, we do not have much hope in defeating Shiva. There just has to be a way to even the odds and get our revenge for all the lives she has taken! The desire to end that monstrosity burns within me like an ember that refuses to be snuffed. I will find a way to end her... even if in the end it is the end of me. I will find a way... I am the hope of the fleet and they rely on me to protect them. I will find a way to do so and put a stop to this slaughter of our comrades. 


	101. 17 - 4    Council Within

After our defeat, I was out cold, I decided to speak with the Dark Falz that were within due to this... they had come out to try and help and in doing so had saved me from a blow that surely should have finished me off. I owed this to them... We stood in a circle in the scape, none of us looking at each other... some in frustration or anger... but I stood with a feeling of guilt and some despair. We had lost a friend... had lost a fight that should have finished everything... and as Luther said, it was futile for them to really fight after they’d shown their hand and that they existed within me. The Profound Darkness was the source of their power after all. Without it, they would not have any power at all. Luther, however, seemed proud... he was the creation of the vessel that was Shiva, after all. Not that any of the others seemed to understand this.

While Luther didn’t argue that he was to blame about Shiva, he did voice - to my surprise - that if he could do it over again he would have avoided ever meeting Xion. Flo and Fleur didn’t think there was anything they could do. Did they forget they had saved my life? Luther then proposed an idea I had not thought of. To truly defeat the Profound Darkness, we would need to banish it to a realm that did not have photons. Was there such a place in existence? If so... where?


	102. 17 - 5   Within

While the others had vanished, another appeared and spoke with me. I had not heard them speak before because of our strange connection... but I felt some relief that I was right in my ideals before. Persona WAS with me... because she was me. A version of me. I had become Persona during the skirmish - briefly - even so it wasn’t enough to beat Shiva, but it did match her for a bit for she did not know Persona... How could she? Persona was not borne of the same methods as the other Dark Falz. Persona had been born within me, my own will and despair that had changed the very nature of my own photons... and hadn’t Persona always been slightly weaker in combat than the others... well, except for when it was just a fake trying to pose as Persona.

She proposed that we needed a power whose source came neither from the Profound Darkness nor from photons in order to beat Shiva. Where could we find such a power? I considered this a moment. Apparently this was Xion’s final wish... that things be set right. I awoke after Persona disappeared only to find myself looking up at Phaleg. I was confused to see her and asked her what she was doing there. She said something about errands, I didn’t pry further knowing that she wasn’t likely to answer. I went over to Matoi who stirred and asked me what happened, worried for her, I told her she shouldn’t move too fast but she insisted upon it to heal our friends. Not long after I heard the com. It was Xiao.

According to him, as if things weren’t bad enough, the enemy intended to crush us in one blow.

We all went back to the ship to regroup and rest.


	103. 18   Aftermath

Even after a few hours of resting I still was feeling echoes of the battle. I was fully healed, of course, but my mind still felt the blows even long after the pain was gone. At least from talking to Tamahime - a projection made by Sukunahime - our friends were recovering and fine. The informants didn’t have any viable ideas on taking down Shiva and were just as tired as the rest of us from constantly fighting off Shiva’s forces. Pati, for some odd reason, thinks the solution would be to tickle Shiva... yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna fly any sooner than I will without actual wings that work instead of just ones that imitate wings in appearance or jet boosters. I’m not sure who I felt more sorry for... Tia who had to deal with Pati’s idea... or Ludmila who would soon be getting a visit from the two. I then ran into Phaleg, I was surprised she was on the ship. Of course she didn’t fully understand Shiva and voice the opinion of wanting to see her “fighting spirit” on display... brother, I don’t think I could explain Shiva to her in a way she’d really understand and I had a bit of a headache from dealing with the informants moments before.

No, that’s not right, it wasn’t them. I’m stressed. Stress causes pain when it’s far too great. At least everyone is working hard... so there is that.


	104. 18 - 1  On Earth

I met with Xiao on the bridge, I wasn’t sure what he had in mind after a few days had passed. There was a debriefing, covering how things were: Mitra’s defeat, proving to the enemy we can defeat them despite missing our original target, Huey was running around as bait with his troops, Sukunahime had troubles of her own so she wasn’t able to help currently but still not fully out of the fight and of course welcoming Phaleg on the ship... 

She and Tamahime were both on the bridge for this, along with Xiera - naturally.

Before we talk much more we got a call from Enga, Earth was under attack by the Photoner fleet! We had to do something to help, they had advanced technology, of course, but nothing they had could deal with this threat properly! So of course this meant I was sent to Earth to help, seeing as how I was most knowledgeable about things on that planet. It was only supposed to be a scout mission, but since when has that ever happened with Shiva involved? 

It turned from a scouting mission into a basic ‘take out the trash’ one in less than the time it took me to get there. Still, talking with the Earth Guides, particularly Hitsugi, reminded me that I had a job to do and that they were counting on me to do it. To take down Shiva and that I could do it by doing my best, just as they were doing their best to mop up the attackers. I knew there had to be a way to deal with Shiva and it was something I was determined to do.


	105. 18 - 2   Plan B

Upon arriving back on the bridge I gave my report to Xiao. Our focus now was to deal with Shiva, this time for real. The plan? Use Omega to alter the universe to become a barrier. In the meantime, Matoi and I were asked to get a medical check up. I guess with how busy we’ve been it makes perfect sense. So that’s what we’d do, at least for now. 


End file.
